EC-caretaker government to discuss Thailand's next general election

BANGKOK, May 12 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) will discuss the country's next general election with the caretaker government on May 14. EC Secretary-General Puchong Nutrawong told reporters of the update on Monday. In response to a call by the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) for the EC chairman, the presidents of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Constitutional Court, as well as the Senate speaker to nominate an interim prime minister, Puchong said that he has already informed EC Chairman Supachai Somcharoen of the PDRC's poposal, while the election agency's talks with the caretaker government will be carried on as scheduled. Meanwhile, Noppadon Pattama, an executive member of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, expressed his confidence that Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha still wants domestic political problems to be solved in a democratic manner and the EC should, thus, organize the next general election to bring Thailand out of the ongoing domestic political crisis. Noppadon, who is a former Pheu Thai foreing minister, dismissed the possibility of exercising Section 7 of the Thai Constitution to nominate an interim prime minister. The legal team of the rival Democrat Party insisted that Acting Caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan has no authority to nominate the new Senate Speaker for a royal approval by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, but the authority rests with the Senate Secretariat and the president of the Supreme Court. A coordinator of the Rattha Bukkhon (state citizens) group, in the meantime, sent letters to the supreme commander, as well as the air force, the army and the navy chiefs, requesting the Thai military to support their group's proposed solution to solve the domestic political crisis, noting that Rattha Bukkhon head General Saiyud Kerdphol is scheduled to announce the group's proposed solution on late Monday afternoon, around at5pm. (TNA)