BANGKOK — Thailand may not get to see a functioning government for 24 more months.

"We have presented two solutions," said Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn. "One option is a quick arrangement of elections five months from now … and the other option is an election in one or two years from now."

Mr. Somchai made the comment several hours after he attended a 7-party "peace talk" arranged by the military, who declared martial law on Tuesday to prevent an escalation of violence between Bangkok's rival protest groups.

Todays's meeting was aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the protracted political crisis that pits the embattled caretaker government of Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn against anti-government protesters allied with the establishment. 

The government and its Redshirt supporters have consistently argued that holding elections is the best way to resolve the country's political impasse, while anti-government protesters and members of the oppostion Democrat Party have demanded that unspecified "national reforms" be held before any election takes place. 

The closed-door meeting marks the first time since political turmoil erupted last November that all sides of Thailand's political conflict met in the same room to discuss ways out of the country's protracted crisis.  The military-mediated discussion was attended by ministers from the caretaker goverment, the Senate Speaker, the Election Commissioner, the chairmans of the Pheu Thai and Democrat Parties, and leaders of the pro-government and anti-government protest groups. 

"The Election Commission insisted at the meeting that an election is still the solution to the country," Mr. Somchai said in a press conference today. "It's just we have to wait for the right moment, so that the election takes place in peaceful and orderly manner, and a universally-accepted government can be formed after the election." 

He explained that he suggested the two drastically different timeframes at today's meeting so that participants could decide whether they are able to "create an appropriate atmosphere and mechanism to ensure a free and fair election" in the next two months. 

If they decide that they are not up to the task, they should wait one or two more years to solve the situation before an election is held, Mr. Somchai said. 

Regardless of which option will be adopted, Mr. Somchai said, all relevant parties must present mechanisms that will guarantee the new Prime Minister and Cabinet take power in a manner that is legal and genuinely accepted by all sides. 

Those who attended today's "peace talks" have all agreed to convene again tomorrow to further various scenarios for resolving Thailand's political impasse.  

Thailand has not seen a functioning government since former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved the House in an attempt to appease anti-government protesters in December 2013. A snap poll was held on 2 Feb 2014, but anti-government protesters, who insist that "reforms" must be implemented before any elections are held, successfully interfered with voting in many districts.

The Constitutional Court invalidated the 2 Feb poll a week later because protesters' disruptions prevented voting and registration from being held on the same day across the country, which is recquired by law. 

A new poll was recently scheduled for 20 July,  but efforts to officially confirm the date by issuing a royal decree have stalled. 

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BANGKOK — Two TV stations are challenging the military’s orders to shut down their operations while the country remains under martial law.

After assuming a wide range of new powers from its declaration of martial law yesterday, the military excerised its new authority to censor the media by shutting down the operations of 14 partisan TV stations.

Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said the move was necessary to prevent the dissemination of "misleading" information to the public.

But two of the shutdown stations, including Voice TV, which is partially owned by the son of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have decided to fight back.

Today, director of Voice TV Payungsak Chanduay filed an appeal with a commander of the army's public relations department at the Army Club on Viphavadee Road.

Mr. Payungsak argued that the shutdown of Voice TV was not justified because the channel’s reporting  of Thailand’s political crisis has been impartial, peaceful, and honest.

Mr. Payungsak  also said that the military order taking Voice TV off the air described the channel as a "satellite TV,” while it is actually a digital TV channel under the direct control of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC). 

"We have complied with the NBTC's regulations 100%. Otherwise the NBTC would have complained to us," Mr. Payungsak said. "Soldiers entered our station at 3 am. They were monitoring our broadcasts all the time, and we let them do that. We didn't try to conceal anything."

He added, "I want fairness for the station. I want them to be back on air as soon as possible, because we have sponsors. Every minute has an advertisement cost. For each hour that passed, we suffer millions of baht in damage."

The host of another shutdown TV channel also made an appeal  at the Army Club today. In a bombastic protest in front of a row of soldiers armed with riot shields, director of HOT TV Leena Changchanchaloudly scolded the shutdown order which, she said, gravely affected her business.

Ms. Leena, a self-appointed legal adviser, former candidate for Bangkok governor election, and seller of cosmetic products, is known to for making controversial statements on her channel. 

But today she insisted that her channel only focused on selling her products, and that she has never instigated violence or distorted information. 

"I support the martial law, so that there will be peace in the country. I also want to see election soon," Ms. Leena told the crowd of reporters. 

Ms. Leena filed her complaint but was not able to submit it to Gen. Prayuth in person as she had requested. 

When military personnel asked her to leave the area, Ms. Leena screamed at the officers, "Arrest me then! I will tell the world that you are dictator who violated the Constitution!" 

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BANGKOK — The Senate Speaker has refused to comment on the allegation that Thailand's army chief is being considered as a candidate for the position of Prime Minister.

"Please help me think about that," Surachai Liangboonlertchai told reporters today when he was asked whether the Senate will attempt to appoint Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to replace caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn. 

"Rumours are rumours," Mr. Surachai said, adding that at the moment, the Senate has no plans to invoke Article 7 of the Constitution to appoint a royally-approved PM. 

Mr. Surachai also dismissed the rumour that he will draft a list of PM candidates without consulting the rest of the Senate. "I have not thought that far yet," he said.  

Mr. Surachai delivered the comments as he made his way to the Army Club on Vihavadee Road where the army-installed Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC) is convening a meeting with various political leaders to find a "solution" to the country's crisis.

Gen. Prayuth unilaterally imposed martial law yesterday, citing possible clashes between rival protest groups that are stationed in and around Bangkok. He now directs the newly-formed POMC, which is tasked with enforcing the military's new authority. 

Today, the POMC invited Thailand's top political players to a military-mediated "peace talk" at the Army club. The invitees included Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn, the Election Commission, the Senate Speaker, the Pheu Thai and Democrat Party chairmans, and the leaders of both pro-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) and the anti-government People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

UDD chairman Jatupon Prompan alleged last week that Gen. Prayuth was secretly nominated by a number of Senators to be an interim "non-partisan" Prime Minister. Gen. Prayuth has not publicly spoken out on the allegation, but he reportedly told a "military reporter" that Mr. Jatupon would be held responsible for the allegation if it turned out to be false.

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