Cabinet approves draft election decree

Sutthipol Thaweechaikarn said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont would present the draft to His Majesty the King next week for Royal endorsement.

The decree will take effect the day after it is published in the Royal Gazette.

He said the registration of candidates would be carried out early next month.

A source familiar with the draft said registration of partylist candidates would be held from November 7 to 11 while registration of constituencybased candidates would be held from November 6 to 12.

Sutthipol said the Cabinet approved the draft as prepared by the EC so all the key dates would be the same as those earlier agreed by the EC.

He said the EC would also campaign for people living or working outside their home provinces to register to cast their votes in advance.

The voters would need only their identification cards to register for the right to vote in advance from October 22 to November 22, he said.

He added that the EC would not begin the tackle the issue of election campaign adverts on electronic media until the Royal decree comes into effect.