Thai EC to organize election in five provinces March 2

BANGKOK, February 21 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has announced that it will try to organize election in five provinces again on March 2. Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, an election commissioner who supervises election organization, told journalists on Friday that he is coordinating the March 2 polling with provincial election authorities, the Department of Provincial Administration and security authorities and he believes that the general election will happen smoothly. Somchai said election attempts will recur in Phetchaburi and Rayong Provinces, where the general election was blocked on February 2, 2014, while polling in Phetchabun, Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram will make up for the advance voting blocked there on January 26, 2014. Somchai noted that for election in 28 constituencies in other provinces, where there has not been any candidate, the EC will wait for a ruling from the Constitution Court. Meanwhile, key figures of coalition parties were discussing the domestic political situation and election problems, as they are worried over the incomplete election, which blocks the opening of the Thai House of Representatives. The coalition parties' key figures have sent a letter to urge the EC to complete the polling so that the House can open within 30 days after the February 2 general election, as required by the laws. The representatives of the coalition parties cautioned that the long vacuum of the government would cause national damage, affecting the confidence of international investors and delay solutions to people's problems.(TNA)