Parties agree on Thailand's Feb 2 general election

BANGKOK, January 18 (TNA) - Concerned agencies and political parties have unanimously agreed that Thailand's new general election be maintained on February 2, 2014 and the postponement of the national poll date is impossible. Caretaker Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Varathep Ratanakorn told journalists of the agreement on Saturday, saying that the caretaker government has not yet received any letter from the Election Commission of Thailand (EC), seeking its discussion with Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on a possibility to postpone the February 2 general election. Varathep, who is also Caretaker Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister concurrently, stressed that it is now unnecessary to discuss the postponement of the national poll date because the concerned agencies and political parties contesting in the upcoming general election have unanimously agreed that the postponement is impossible. According to the caretaker minister, Thailand's new general election is to be held on February 2, 2014 as stipulated in a Royal Decree endorsed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's last month. Touching on plans by the EC to ask the Constitution Court to consider on postponing the February 2 general election, the caretaker minister said the caretaker government could not stop the EC, but the move needs to be done within the legal framework. The caretaker minister revealed that political parties plan to confer on a domestic political reform on January 20, 2013, especially on proposals by several organisations for Thai political parties to sign a ratification before the general election is held. The ratification is aimed at ensuring that Thai political parties will work on a domestic political reform after the new government is formed, following the February 2 general election. (TNA)