Thailand's small political parties call for quick general election

BANGKOK, April 23 (TNA) - Thailand's small political parties have sent a letter to Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to request that the next election be held quickly. Suthin Pijarn, leader of the New Democracy Party, represented small political parties to submit the letter to the caretaker prime minister, through her Secretary General Police Major General Thawat Boonfueng, at the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence on the outskirts of Bangkok on Wednesday morning. Suthin told journalists that the letter requests the caretaker prime minister to hold talks with the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) on the issuance of a new royal decree on setting the next general election earlier than July 20, proposed by the EC, probably on June 15 or June 22, 2014. The move followed a meeting between representatives of 58 political parties and the EC on Tuesday, with the election agency tentatively setting the next national poll date on July 20, or August 17 or September 14, 2014. The ruling Pheu Thai Party also attended Tuesday meeting, but the Democrat Party did not. Pokin Polakul, a legal adviser of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, meanwhile, expressed his support for the July 20 date, reasoning that it will be within the 45-60 days' timeframe, after the Constitutional Court ruled that the February 2 general election was unconstitutional, but he also suggested that, if possible, the EC should organize the next national poll sooner than July 20 for the sake of economic and social solutions to the nation. Pokin also urged the EC to prevent repeated attempts by anti-government protesters to block the next general election. (TNA)