The embattled Election Commission yesterday proposed holding a new general election on October 22 - a move that appeared to please many political parties, but failed to curb calls for the commissioners to stand down.

The Democrat Party continued to insist that the commissioners resign, saying they had lost legitimacy.

Presidents of the three top courts will meet again today to discuss their next move. It will be the third time the top judges of the Supreme, Administrative and Constitution courts meet to discuss the political crisis.

Supreme Court secretary-general Jaran Pakdithanakul said yesterday the senior judicial chiefs would also discuss a report that Charupat Ruangsuwan, one of the four election commissioners, had resigned.

The EC promised to propose the new election date so that Cabinet can issue a royal decree as soon as possible.

Commissioner Prinya Nakchudtree said: "We agreed that October 22 is suitable because it will give enough time for party members to switch parties if they want to."

The announcement came after the EC met representatives from 17 political parties, including Thai Rak Thai and smaller parties, who voted on when the election should be held.

The three main opposition parties - Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon - boycotted the meeting, saying the EC had lost its legitimacy after the Constitution Court ruled the way it organised the April 2 election violated the charter.

Representatives of 13 minor parties that attended yesterday's meeting voted for the election to be held on October 22 and for a royal decree to set the poll date to be issued on August 22. The Thai Rak Thai Party abstained from voting.

The parties said that the new election date would allow members of political parties to beat the 90-day rule and switch affiliation.

But Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said that scheduling the new election more than 90 days away was not the main thing.

"The point is that the election must be clean and fair to all sides," Suthep said.

He said he had lost trust in the current EC and believed it had no legitimacy to continue organising elections.

Suthep said the criminal lawsuit he had filed against the EC could be significant. "Think about it. If the Criminal Court agrees to proceed with the trial against the EC on May 29, the EC will become defendants. And if the trial is sped up and the EC is convicted and jailed, how could the next election be held if the EC is not changed now?"

Chat Thai deputy leader Nikorn Chamnong supported the plan to hold the new election on October 22. "But we will have to wait and see how the Cabinet will react to this proposal."

He said holding the election that far away would automatically break the political stalemate without the need to amend the Constitution. But the EC still faced a crisis of confidence, he said.

"Politicians will be able to switch to join new parties they consider best responding to their political stand and new parties could be set up," Nikorn said.

"The best way out should be the resignation of the EC."

Mahachon deputy Akapol Sorasuchart welcomed the date selected for the next election. His party would call for a new EC to be appointed before the election as there was plenty of time, Akapol said.

Anek Laothamathat, former Mahachon leader, said setting the election on October 22 would not reduce pressure on the EC to resign. The four commissioners should step down now to avoid facing criminal lawsuits, which could result in their imprisonment, he said.

Thai Rak Thai Party leader and caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he had no problem with the election date selected.

"The date doesn't matter to us as long as everybody complies with the rules," Thaksin told reporters.

The top judges yesterday repeated their call for the election commissioners to resign to pave the way for the courts to step in and supervise a new election.

Their first meeting came after His Majesty the King suggested the courts seek a solution to the political "mess", following the controversial April 2 election.

After their second meeting, the Constitution Court nullified the April 2 poll, saying it violated the charter, and ordered a new election. The commissioners have so far refused to step down, despite increasing pressure from many sectors of society.

Atthayuth Butrsripoom,

Kesinee Taengkhieo

The Nation