BANGKOK, Jan 14 – Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) will not attend the government-initiated forum tomorrow to discuss a proposed delay of the Feb 2 general election, a member said today.
Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, EC member for election administration, said the five-member EC reached an agreement today but assigned Puchong Nutrawong, EC secretary general, to listen to participants’ opinions in tomorrow’s meeting.
The EC was of the opinion that the meeting, in which more than 70 people were invited, will be too large to reach a tangible resolution, he said, adding the EC has coordinated with Suranand Vejjajiva, secretary general to the caretaker prime minister, and caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana regarding a separate meeting between the government and five EC members on Thursday.
If there is no conclusion in the meeting with the government (on Thursday), the EC will ask the government to issue a point-by-point clarification to be forwarded to the Constitution Court for a final ruling, said Mr Somchai, admitting that the government and the EC share different views.
