EC mulls way to organize re-elections in eight southern Thai provinces

BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) is considering on how to resolve problems concerning holding re-elections in 28 constituencies in eight southern Thai provinces, where registrations of candidates were blocked by anti-government protesters. EC Chairman Supachai Somcharoen told journalists before attending an EC meeting on Monday morning that participants attending the session, including legal advisors and experts, would discuss preparations for the election agency to seek the Constitution Court's ruling whether it is the authority of the caretaker government to issue a fresh royal decree on organizing new elections in the 28 southern constituencies or the EC to issue an announcement on the matter. The meeting was held after the caretaker government earlier informed the EC that it had discussed with the Office of the Council of State, the legal advisory of the government, and the office disagreed with the EC’s proposal on the caretaker government to issue a new royal decree. Rescheduling elections in the 28 constituencies of the eight southern provinces are necessary after there were no applicants to contest in the February 2 general election due to the anti-government protests, causing the House of Representatives not to be able to convene to vote for a new prime minister. In response to reports that several former MPs plan to travel to the Parliament on March 4 to express their dissatisfaction that the EC could not announce results within 30 days after the February 2 general election as required by the Constitution, the EC chair said he had no comment, explaining only that the announcement could not be made because the general election remains incomplete. (TNA)