Don't worry about Suchon's move: Parn
The Supreme Court will meet at the end of the month to discuss the move by Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua to ask Supreme Court judges to nominate new candidates for the Election Commission, a source said yesterday.
The court has called a meeting of 86 judges on Wednesday tentatively to discuss Suchon's request for the court to select the EC candidates. The court may decide not to select any candidates on the grounds that the current EC has lost legitimacy and it would be inappropriate to fill vacant positions. The court may select four new candidates, two will be nominated by the Seante. "Many Supreme Court judges do not want to be EC candidates but former senators and former director-generals and high-ranking permanent officials. The latter contacted the Supreme Court judges to present their names as candidates even though they have only a two-year term, if selected,'' a source said. The Constitution Court's acting president, Parn Chantaraparn, has sought to allay fears over the move by Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua to ask Supreme Court judges to nominate new candidates for the Election Commission. Parn said he believed the move would not lead to a political impasse or crisis if the Supreme Court rejected the request. The move by Suchon is seen as an effort to bolster the positions of the EC's three remaining commissioners, who have been criticised for decisions seen as favouring the ruling party. "I would like everyone to let things proceed by themselves. I hope that no outsiders get involved in the matter. Outsiders should not talk too much about it because everything is actually all right. We should not stir trouble," Parn said. The three top courts had not yet decided how to respond to Suchon's move, the judge said. Suchon is expected to seek a ruling from the Constitution Court if the Supreme Court refuses to nominate new candidates for the Senate to consider. The speaker's move follows a call earlier this month by judges of the country's three top courts for the EC to stand down and allow judges to take over the electoral process. Parn admitted yesterday Suchon had called him once to discuss the matter but said he had yet to get any further calls. He said if the dispute got to the Constitution Court, it would have to hear the case.
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