Sawai Prammanee, a legal adviser to the Senate speaker, presides over a meeting with Election Commission officials yesterday to ensure that five new EC members are appointed before the October 15 election decree takes effect on August 24.

"The Senate will select new commissioners, as it is required by law," said Sawai Prammanee, the head of Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua's legal advisors, after he chaired a meeting with EC officials.

Sawai said that although the election should not be postponed, he had learned that most of the 2,000 EC officials nationwide were losing morale because of uncertainty over their office since three former commissioners were jailed last week.

Some outgoing senators have been concerned the selection would not meet the August 24deadline, claiming the process of checking candidates' backgrounds would take at least 30 days before the Senate could pick five new members.

The EC is facing a deep crisis without any serving commissioners. This follows a Criminal Court verdict that booted out the three remaining commissioners, Vasana Puemlarp, Prinya Nakchudtree and Virachai Naewboonnien, for unlawful handling of the April 2 election. The Constitution requires the EC to be served by five commissioners.

Meanwhile, EC deputy secretary-general Prawing Kachacheewa appealed to all sides to cooperate so the election can take place on October 15. "The situation is unusual, so we should not be strict about following a regular process," he said.

PM's secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej said His Majesty the King endorsed the election decree with the intention of seeing the political crisis end soon. All sides should find ways to meet His Majesty's wish.