Thai PM urged to reconsider plan to curb EC power

BANGKOK, February 7 (TNA) - The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has submitted an open letter to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha, asking him to reconsider a plan to curb the election agency's power in organising elections in the future, as proposed by the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC). The letter was submitted to Prime Minister General Prayut, who is also Chief of the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), by an EC representative on Friday. The representative said similar letters will also be submitted to the so-called "five rivers", comprising NCPO, the Thai Cabinet, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), CDC and the National Reform Council (NRC). Friday's letter indicated that EC members oppose to the CDC's proposal on setting up an election committee tasked with organising general elections, replacing the EC, as it is also against the international practice. EC cautioned that such the committee, if formed, could become an “instrument or doubt of its neutrality”, while the court, proposed to be empowered to issue a new round of election or even issue a "yellow card" to those allegedly cheating an election, could make politicians become “fearless”. In another development, CDC Spokesmen Wuthisarn Tunchai and Kamnoon Sidhisamarn told a press conference that CDC has completed discussions on power distribution and rural administration. The spokesmen stated that Friday's CDC meeting agreed on an increase of power distribution and there must be an independent unit responsible for the power distribution, including a sharing of tax revenue between the central government and the rural administrative organisation appropriately. Besides, the CDC meeting agreed on an establishment of power distribution, aimed at protecting public and national benefits. (TNA)