Wissanu: Poll to happen May 5 at the latest

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam (left) congratulates Ittiporn Boonpracong, the new chairman of the Election Commission, at the EC office in the Government Complex, Nonthaburi province, on Monday. (Photo by Amornthep Chotchalermpong)

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam says the general election will be held on Feb 24 at the earliest or May 5 at the latest.

His comment came after the Election Commission (EC) announced on Saturday the poll would be held on Feb 24, according to its calculations.

Mr Wissanu said on Monday no attempts had been made to delay the poll. “Up until now, there has been no factor that may delay or cancel the plan.”

He added the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the EC would decide later whether the poll should be held sooner or later and public opinion would be taken into consideration.

“However, if the election is held sooner rather than later, parties would have less time for their campaigns,” he noted.

Mr Wissanu unofficially met the newly appointed EC on Monday to discuss the election.

Another key issue under discussion was the ban on political parties imposed by the No.52/2560 NCPO order since last year.

The ban would first be “relaxed” so parties could do six things 90 days after the MP law is published in the Royal Gazette but has yet to come into effect, he said.

He did not spell out the exact date the ban would be eased but both the senators and MP bills are being reviewed by His Majesty the King, who has 90 days to endorse them, or until mid-September. After they are endorsed, they will be published in the Royal Gazette. The senator law will take effect immediately but the MP law will take effect 90 days after it is published, during which the political ban would be eased.

The six activities parties can do then are outlined in Item 45 of the NCPO order. They include holding meetings, taking part in setting constituency boundaries and holding a form of primary votes.

Apart from these, parties can do nothing else without the NCPO's nod, Mr Wissanu stressed.

The deputy prime minister added the ban would be totally lifted after the 90 days. Based on the timeline he mentioned, this would likely happen around mid-December.

Representatives of political parties will be invited to a second meeting with the NCPO in September, he added. The first such meeting was held on June 25.