Senate needs a month to select new EC
The Senate will spend at least 30 days to select the election commissioners after receiving the nominations from the Supreme Court, Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua said on Tuesday.
However, he said, the selection process should be completed within 60 days because of the urgency of the country. He said the Senate will have to appoint a factfinding committee to verify the biography of the nominees, as required by the law. He was saying after a meeting with the secretariat of the Senate. The outgoing Senate Speaker's legal team led by outgoing Nakhon Ratchasima senator Sawai Prammanee will meet the secretarygeneral of the Election Commission (EC) Ekkachai Warunprapha today, he said. He said the Senate had been informed about the resignation of the three former election commissioners. However, the Senate needed the resignation certification from the EC then he would ask the Supreme Court to start the EC selection process. He said the new EC would work for the position during the outgoing EC's remaining term, as the outgoing EC were out of the posts during their term. Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said no political parties would be involved in the EC selection as there was no House of Representatives at the moment. The outgoing EC were endorsed on October 21, 2001. The new EC will have their term until 2007 as the term last for six years. Outgoing Bangkok senator Seree Suwanpanont said it was possible to have the EC replaced in time and the election is unlikely to be postponed. by Bancha Khaengkhan Hassaya Chatmontr The Nation
|
