(24 January) Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the 2 February election should be postponed by at least 3 months.
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He told our correspondent that he plans to propose the deferment to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on 27 January – a day after the scheduled advanced voting session on Sunday.
Mr. Somchai′s comment came after the Constitutional Court ruled that the 2 February can be constitutionally postponed, and granted the joint authority for the poll deferment to the government and the Election Commission (EC).
The verdict effectively invalidates the existing Constitutional requirement which dictates the government to hold a snap election within 60 days since the Prime Minister dissolved the Parliament; Ms. Yingluck dissolved the House in early December.
The Election Commissioner, who has been a vocal advocate of poll postponement, welcomed the verdict.
"The verdict is a good solution," Mr. Somchai said, "It is another door for the government. It doesn′t see the election as a sole solution, but points to legal provision that can postpone the election".
Since the Constitutional Court has removed the mandatory timeframe associated with the election, Mr. Somchai argued, the poll can wait for at least 3 months.
Nevertheless, the advanced voting on 26 January will go ahead as planned, he added.
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