"We will not attend Monday's meeting. We no longer trust the EC, particularly after the court's ruling," Democrat Party deputy leader Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday, referring to the Constitution Court's ruling that the April 2 election was unconstitutional.

 Jurin, the chairman of a joint committee for the three opposition parties, said he had talked to the other two parties and all had agreed to boycott Monday's meeting to express their disapproval of the EC.

  "We don't think that the EC will be able to ensure the election will be free and fair," Jurin said.

The watchdog lacked legitimacy and the commissioners should be replaced to ensure that the next election is free and fair, he said.

The move by the opposition parties came as the government tried to set a date for a new election. It instructed the EC to hold a meeting on Monday with the opposition parties to set a date for a new election.

 Mahachon's deputy leader Akrapon Sorasuchart said: "The EC's attempt to organise a meeting clearly showed that it did not understand the Constitution Court's ruling and is not willing to take responsibility for its organising of the April 2 election."

Mahachon is ready to participate in the next election but it is concerned about the EC's neutrality, Adrapon said.

The Chat Thai Party said on Wednesday that it would boycott Monday's meeting.

Constitution Court secretarygeneral Paiboon Varahapaitoon said yesterday the court would refuse to attend the meeting if it received an invitation because negotiating the date of an election went beyond its duties.

He said the court had not received an invitation although the EC had said it would invite the court to attend.

Democrat deputy spokesman Sathit Pitutecha said that even if the EC oversees the next election the party would field candidates.

Meanwhile, the party's secretarygeneral Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday called on EC chairman Vasana Puemlarp to provide information and evidence to the court about preelection lobbying among political parties on May 28 and 29.

Suthep said Vasana should make public evidence about a party hiring small parties to run in the election. Vasana's allegation that the Democrat Party hired small parties to boycott the election was groundless, Suthep said.

He said the report by a subcommittee appointed by Vasana arrived at a unanimous conclusion that there was convincing evidence the Thai Rak Thai Party hired small parties to field candidates to run against its candidates. The panel also found there was no convincing evidence the Democrats had paid parties to boycott the election, Suthep said.

He filed a lawsuit against the four EC commissioners earlier this week.

Suthep also denied any involvement with Taikorn Polsuwan, a leader of the antiThaksin Shinawatra protest in the Northeast who said he had evidence there were negotiations between a major party and a small party before the April 2 election. Although Taikorn was a member of the Democrat Party, he had resigned and formed another party before recently applying to rejoin the Democrat Party.

On Wednesday, Vasana challenged the Democrat Party to sue him for saying he had both witnesses and evidence that showed a large opposition party had paid small parties to boycott the election. Vasana said he would keep the evidence to himself until the right time.

The investigation by an EC subcommittee followed a complaint from the Democrat Party about lobbying among political parties.

by Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation