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Published on October 27, 2007

The plan was approved on September 14 when Sonthi was the junta chief. He resigned his position in order to join the interim government.

"As I am now in charge of a committee tasked to ensure fair voting, I would like to see a free and fair election and don't condone biases towards any party," he said.

The junta will have to review whether any measures imposed before the official launch of campaigning should be revoked, he said.

General Somjet Boonthanom, head of the junta's secretariat office, said yesterday that the two classified documents were doctored before the People Power Party exposed them as a propaganda ploy to discredit it.

People Power Party leader Samak Sundaravej claimed on Monday that the junta planned to destroy his party.

"A part of the documents are authentic and not classified - it spells out an action plan for information dissemination and has been circulated among military units, but another part has been mysteriously annexed," Somjet said.

He said the junta was ready to cooperate if the Election Commission (EC) decides to investigate the documents.

Colonel Chatchalerm Chalermsuk, who drafted and signed the original copy of the junta report, said he had a standing order not to comment on the issue. "But I hope the truth will come out following the completion of a probe," he said, expressing his willingness to testify.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission issued a summons yesterday requesting the People Power Party to surrender classified documents it obtained and cooperate with the investigation into the junta's propaganda to discredit the party.

It also requested the Pracharaj Party to furnish evidence on the allegation about election candidates getting paid by parties in exchange for allegiance.

"The EC expects a full cooperation and will get to the bottom of the matter after getting evidence from the two parties," EC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaigarn said.

The EC also plans to summon the Army officer responsible for drafting the documents for the junta to testify on the matter, Suthiphon said.

A People Power Party source said the party would submit the two documents detailing the junta's propaganda ploy. Many see the ploy as an interference with the electoral process.

In a related development, a network of anti-coup activists, led by Sant Hattheerat, Weng Tojirakarn and Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, petitioned the EC to penalise the junta and its officials involved in the ploy against the People Power Party.

 The Nation