Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn has urged the Election Commission (EC) to postpone the district-level selection of senators, scheduled for this Sunday, saying that it is better to be late than go ahead before the decision from the charter court is known.
The Constitutional Court has accepted two petitions challenging the constitutionality of three provisions in the election law. It is yet to set the date for the reading of its decision, which will not be before Sunday.
In his Facebook post today, Somchai said it is not too late to postpone the selection, noting that the Constitutional Court, in its decision, will detail how the election law should be amended, if appropriate, and parliament will take less than a day to do so.
He estimated that the EC’s Office has already spent about half of the 1.5 billion baht budget assigned for the holding of the district-level selection, adding that he is not sure whether the office will be able to bear the financial burden if the selection is postponed.
Meanwhile EC Chairman Itthiporn Boonpracong said this morning that the seven election commissioners will decide today whether to postpone.
EC Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce the decision, which is likely to be a postponement.
Main photo : Somchai Srisutthiyakorn
