Thailand's Caretaker PM to meet EC April 30

BANGKOK, April 26 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has announced that Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will discuss with the EC next Wednesday on the date of the next general election. EC Chairman Supachai Somcharoen told journalists on Saturday that Yingluck has accepted the EC's invitation to confer on organising the fresh general election at the EC headquarters on the outskirts of Bangkok on April 30. Asked whether it is possible to hold the next national poll before July 20 as requested by several political parties, Supachai revealed that the issue will be discussed next Monday, after an election commissioner, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, submits information gathered from a seminar held earlier in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the Thai Northeast to the EC's meeting. On possible talks between the EC and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on exploring ways to end the ongoing domestic political deadlock, the EC chair said that his agency is prepared to discuss the issue with every concerned party, and that he hopes the Democrat Party will field candidates in the next general election, after it boycotted the last general election on February 2, 2014. Abhisit will reportedly meet with the EC next Tuesday. (TNA)