Reactions in wake of Thailand's Feb 2 general election nullified by court

BANGKOK, March 21 (TNA) - The ruling Pheu Thai Party has complained against the Constitutional Court's ruling to nullify Thailand's general election on February 2, 2014, while the Democrat Party has announced it would join the new election only if Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra settled differences with core leader of the now anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) Suthep Thaugsuban, who is a former Democrat deputy prime minister. Pheu Thai Party Spokesman Prompong Nopparit told a press conference on Friday afternoon that his party doubted the Ombudsman and the Constitutional Court abided by the Constitution, as under Thailand's 2007 Charter, the Ombudsman had no authority to file a complaint against an election with the Constitutional Court and the court was not authorized to accept such the complaint. The spokesman argued that minority people had unconstitutionally blocked the February 2 election and the ruling of the Constitutional Court would set a precedent for such obstruction. Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said all parties are to respect the court's ruling for the sake of national peace and the caretaker government should first negotiate with the PDRC leader to settle their ideological differences, but Abhisit did not confirm whether his Democrat Party would run in the new general election, noting only if people's concerns were allayed, his party would be ready for talks. PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan insisted that a domestic political reform could be worked out prior to the new general election and the process should take 5-6 months, similar to such a process after the Constitutional Court had nullified Thailand's previous general election on April 2, 2006. Meanwhile, Puchong Nutrawong, Secretary-General of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC), said that the EC had organized the February 2 general election in compliance with laws but it respected the Constitutional Court's ruling. (TNA)