ID :
312052
Thu, 12/26/2013 - 13:19
Auther :

Thai EC urges for postponement of new general election, caretaker government rebuffs

BANGKOK, December 26 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has proposed that the caretaker government postpone the new general election, from February 2, 2014, until an agreement is reached between the caretaker administration and anti-government protesters, offering to mediate between the two sides, but the caretaker government has later insisted that the February 2 general election be held as scheduled. The EC aired the proposal on Thursday afternoon, after clashes in front of the Thai-Japanese Stadium in Bangkok's Din Daeng area, where it organized the draws of election candidate numbers on Thursday morning, expressing its regret of the clashes between police officers and anti-government protesters and apologizing for failing to stage peaceful candidacy registrations. The EC said that the registrations of party-list candidates was only an initial stage of the new general election, to be followed by the registrations of constituency candidates, vote campaigns, vote counts and the announcement of election results; so, it is now unlikely that the February 2 general election will be peaceful and the EC may not be able to organize an honest and fair election as stated in the Constitution. The election agency, therefore, called for the caretaker government to postpone the new general election date until there is a clear agreement between the caretaker government and the anti-government side, insisting that the EC is ready to mediate between the two sides so that they can work out an agreement. The EC announced unless there is an action to relieve the domestic political tension within a week, election commissioners will exercise their individual rights, authority and responsibilities to make their decisions considered appropriate to ease the situation, resigning from their posts. Meanwhile, the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) issued a statement on Thursday evening turning down the EC's call, reasoning that the postponement is unconstitutional. (TNA)

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