Constitution Court:Thailand's new election can be postponed

BANGKOK, January 24 (TNA) - Bangkok's Constitution Court has ruled that Thailand's new general election can be postponed, from its earlier scheduled for February 2, 2014. The Constitution Court gave the verdict on Friday afternoon with an unanimous vote 8:0 handed by its eight-judge panel. The Constitution Court also ruled that Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra could discuss a new general election date with Election Commission (EC) Chairman Supachai Somcharoen. Earlier, the court accepted the EC request for its ruling on the possibility of the postponement of the February 2 general election and on the party empowered to delay the national poll date, either the election agency or the caretaker government. Meanwhile, a senator, Paiboon Nititawan, and a lawyer of the Democrat Party, also filed a case with the Constitution Court, asking the court to rule on the legality of the caretaker government’s decision to impose the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations without seeking the consent of the EC. The complainants alleged the caretaker administration of violating the Constitution and their complaints affect 18 members of the ruling Pheu Thai Party who are Cabinet members, including Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Caretaker Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan, who is now the Pheu Thai Party's leader. Besides, the complainants sought the Constitution Court's order to end the imposition of the emergency decree and its verdict to disband the ruling Pheu Thai Party for the alleged violation of the Constitution, claiming that it was considered unnecessary for the caretaker government to impose the emergency decree because there was not any emergency situation.(TNA)