Feb. 2 election doomed to fail: Thai Election Commission

BANGKOK, Jan. 10 -- The Election Commission (EC) of Thailand urged the government to scrap the Feb. 2 election as it is doomed to fail, the EC said here on Friday.

The poll will not produce enough Member of Parliament (MP) for the House of Representatives to convene in the current situation, the EC said.

The poll organizers reached their stance in a meeting before the EC sent its report to the caretaker government, EC commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyagorn said.

The EC advised the caretaker cabinet to use its authority to propose that His Majesty the King issue a new royal decree to halt the election set for Feb. 2.

The commission acknowledged what commentators have been saying for weeks that the election could lead to another deadlock as there would be no contest in 28 constituencies where candidate registration was blocked. Another 22 constituencies will feature one-horse races.

The constitution requires 95 percent of all seats to be filled for the House to convene and for EC endorsement. The present House has 500 seats and 475 constituency and party-list MPs are the minimum requirement.

With no contest in the 28 constituencies, the Feb. 2 election would be a complete waste of time and billions of baht in taxpayers' money, the EC said,

The opposition Democrat Party is boycotting the Feb. 2 poll and the 28 constituencies where registration was blocked are all in southern provinces loyal to the Democrats.

The EC cannot hold an election in those 28 constituencies in later stages as the date has been fixed, commissioners added.

A candidate running in a constituency with no other competitors needs the support of at least 20 percent of eligible voters to win, but the EC expects by-elections in several constituencies if the candidate could not obtain enough support.

Somchai also reiterated the EC's concern over rising violence leading up to the election.

"The EC is of the view that authority rests only with the government to propose to His Majesty the King for a new royal decree to cancel the present one," he said.