Surayud's election dream: No vote-buying, 70 pct turnout

By Mongkol Bangprapa

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, on his first day at work as interior minister, told officials he wants to see at least a 70 per cent voter turnout for the Dec 23 general election - fair, and free of vote-buying and money politics.

He called on the Interior Ministry staff to support the Election Commission (EC) in the task. Gen Surayud said he aimed to make the poll fairer and cut the amount of money spent by would-be MPs.

"In past elections, each MP candidate was required to spend no more than five million baht on campaigning, but I have heard that the actual spending figure reached 20 million baht each," he said.

Election commissioner Prapan Naiyakowit said the commission would soon propose the cabinet issue a royal decree officially fixing the election date because the essential organic laws took effect yesterday.

The three organic laws of the 2007 charter govern the EC's authority, the electoral process, political parties, and installation of the House and Senate.

Mr Prapan said the EC will meet today to discuss preparations for the Dec 23 general election, including the royal decree for the poll.

Once the decree takes effect, expected late this month or early next month, all political parties would have to remove their campaign ads from all kinds of media, including roadside billboards.

The requirement is stipulated in articles 59 and 60 of the organic law on the electoral process.

A part of the two articles states that the EC must be the agency which makes the decision on where the publications and campaign posters of candidates and their parties should be situated.

He said the general election would certainly take place within 90 days from yesterday, by Jan 7 next year.

Cabinet reshuffles or any changes in who was prime minister would have no effect on the election, said Mr Prapan.

The only thing that could prevent the election from happening was if the current constitution were revoked. This would not happen, he said.Mr Prapan also clarified a misunderstanding that if Gen Surayud resigned, then the new prime minister had to be a member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

He said provisional clauses in the 2007 charter do not require that a new premier appointed prior to the general election be an NLA member. The law only requires the NLA president be the one who selects the new prime minister, and the person chosen could be one of the existing deputy premiers.

"I don't believe, though, that Gen Surayud will quit. Someone pondering resignation wouldn't have spent three hours talking to the EC about poll preparations," said Mr Prapan.