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Published on August 30, 2007

Committee member and junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA) member Narong Chokewat-tana said candidates with the second highest vote should be certified by the Election Commission (EC) as the winner instead.

Narong argued that the candidate accused of electoral fraud could stand for the snap election and possibly win.

"If an athlete who got first place had doped himself, he would have his prize taken away and the runner up would succeed. There won't be a rerun," he said.

However, committee member Borwornsak Uwan-no warned that such a rationale would only erode the will of the people to choose their own representatives.

"The Thai constitution has been accused of not recognising the power of the people. The constitution allows the EC to nullify candidates chosen by the people through the giving of yellow and red cards," Borwornsak said.

"How can we answer to the people if they chose Mister A, but then the EC named Mr B, the runner-up, as the winner? Are we not going far beyond the theory that power rests with the people? Foreign countries are puzzled by this," he said.

The three bills being reviewed involve the election of MPs, selection of senators, and the Election Commission.

On another issue discussed yesterday, the review committee member and EC member Praphan Naiyakowit said there was a need to find a way in the three organic laws to stop some politicians from acting as a proxy of a certain ousted politician or having the same ousted politician funding new proxy parties.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

 The Nation

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