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Published on October 23, 2007

 The Election Commission (EC) will likely set the cap for campaign spending at Bt1.5 million per candidate following yesterday's meeting with political party representatives.

Suthipol Thaweechaikarn, the EC secretary-general, said the meeting agreed on the spending limit.

All major parties, including the Democrat and the Chat Thai, have agreed to the cap while smaller parties suggest each candidate should spend no more than Bt500,000.

Inputs from parties should help the EC to finalise its decision on the issue.

The calculation on campaign spending was based on the Bt1.4-million cap for the February 2005 election, as well as factoring in adjusted costs.

In case of a disqualification, the spending for a revote is likely to be either one-third or half of the cap in the first vote.

Party-list candidates for proportionate voting will observe the same spending limits as constituency candidates.

The EC solicited opinions on the campaigning rules, including fair airtime and uniform billboards and flyers. Officials said they would make rulings on the matters in due course.

At the meeting, some of the smaller, lesser-known political parties complained to the EC that allowing their rivals to spend Bt1.5 million on election campaigns would give them an unfair disadvantage.

"Rich parties want to see the ceiling higher but for parties like us, Bt200,000 to Bt300,000 is enough," said Chuchart Prachatham, leader of the Thai are Free Party (Thai Pen Thai).

"In fact, Bt3 million or Bt4 million isn't enough [for some candidates] but they all lie [about their expenditure] and Thai society likes cheating."

The Palang Kasetakorn Party proposed that the EC restrict all campaign materials to create a level playing field instead of allowing rich parties to enjoy what they see as an unfair advantage.

These and other concerns were raised yesterday during a special consultation session arranged by the EC to allow all parties discuss campaign funding, restrictions on campaign materials, and problems of people registering with more than one political party at the same time.

The commission cited the results of a survey of 44 out of 65 political parties. It revealed that the majority of political parties supported the budget ceiling of Bt1.5 million per MP candidate.

The EC has yet to decide on the matter but it will have to rule soon as the election laws are likely to come into effect on Thursday.

Other factors cited by small parties for their failure to make an impact on politics was the negligence and stereotype of the mainstream mass media, which they said worked against them.

"The media shouldn't report on just seven or eight parties while 50 more parties are not news material," said Varanchai Chokechana, who has stood twice as a candidate for the Senate and five times to try to become Bangkok governor.

The EC urged all parties to respect the upcoming poll results so that the country can return to a democratic path.

"Please accept the rules and the result. But we must not let history repeat itself," said Election Commissioner Sodsri Satyatham, referring to last year's nullified election which eventually led to the coup.

"The country has been derailed from a democratic path for a year or more," said Somchai Juengprasert, another election commissioner.

"Please help the EC in the upcoming election to help bring the country forward into a democratic system accepted by other nations."

But not everyone was convinced about the EC's ability to run a free and fair election.

Chokechai Suthawong, a labour expert and special lecturer at Thammasat University, claimed the five EC members lacked democratic credentials so it would be hard for them to instil democracy into the poll.

Another participant at yesterday's event suggested the EC throw out former junta chief, deputy prime minister Sonthi Boonyaratkalin for what they perceived to be a serious lack of impartiality.

The EC told the session it had already decided on some of the regulations for the election.

The government is required to help produce and air 30-second television and radio spots for all parties and allow three broadcasts per party.

The maximum length for longer ads will be 10 minutes and each party will be able to have it aired free three times.

Materials like CDs or VCDs can be distributed but each candidate or party must count them as a campaign expense.

Candidates who are TV celebrities or movie stars must refrain from appearing in shows for 30 days before the election.

The number of campaign posters will be restricted to three times the number of polling stations.

The EC admits there is nothing in the poll laws to stop the already banned 111 members of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai party from appearing in campaign posters or rallies for candidates from other parties.

But the EC was unable to make a decision on queries such as the use of digital messages on signboards or placards at rallies. Many details would be decided on shortly, EC commissioners said.

 Pravit Rojanaphruk,

 Atthayuth Butrsripoom

 The Nation