The 10 nominees for the new Election Commission will address a Senate panel today on how they will handle the general election, before the Upper House picks five of them, a senator said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the rector of Thammasat University predicted the October 15 poll would be delayed till December because the new EC would not be able to take office by the registration day, on September 5.

Outgoing Senator Wallop Tangkhananurak, secretary to the panel, said the EC nominees would be given 15 minutes to answer how they would manage the poll and what criteria they would use before disqualifying a House candidate.

The issues were considered significant following the debacle of the last EC, which was accused by the Constitution Court of illegal management of the April 2 poll.

Wallop said the 22-member panel, chaired by Senator Sunthorn Jinda-in, would speed up inquiries into candidates' personal backgrounds and work and financial records - in a bid to finish the task by the end of the month.

Concerns were heightened on Tuesday that the new poll would have to be delayed after the Senate appointed a subcommittee to check the backgrounds of the 10 nominees.

It looks unlikely that the new EC will be able to take office before the royal decree on the general election takes effect next Thursday, after the Senate opted to give the panel 20 days to complete its task.

The new commissioners would have very limited time to prepare for the poll, which has raised the prospect of it being postponed.

Many politicians and some of the nominees have called for the ballot to be delayed to allow the new commissioners more time to prepare. However, the Thai Rak Thai Party and Chat Thai Party have opposed the idea.

Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua believed the Upper House would be able to hold a session to pick the five commissioners by the end of the month and pass them on for royal approval.

While the election decree becomes effective next Thursday and it seems like the EC selection would be concluded after that, the poll schedule should not be affected, he claimed.

However, the EC would have to make the decision if the poll was postponed, Suchon said.

Pongthep Thepkanjana, a deputy leader of Thai Rak Thai, would not comment on the election being postponed, saying only it was a matter for the new EC members to decide.

Thammasat University rector Surapol Nitikraipoj said the new EC should take office before September 5, the first registration day for House candidates set by the EC office.

However, this was not likely given that the new members would be sworn in until around mid-September. This would exceed the first registration day, which would automatically force the EC to postpone the poll, he said.

Suraphol suggested the best time for the election was December as the new EC would need sufficient time to prepare.