The election commissioners should resign to show responsibility if the Constitution Court rules today against them about the legality of the April 2 election, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) said yesterday.

The court is set to make a landmark ruling today as major political parties are getting ready for the possibility of a new election in the event of the polls being declared void.

PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila yesterday called on Election Commission members to resign if the Constitution Court annulled the April 2 election, in a show of responsibility for setting the election date too close to the time of the House dissolution by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The PAD is the political movement that has spearheaded campaigns to oust Thaksin.

"If they do not resign, the PAD will seek to remove them by filing complaints with the Supreme Court or the Constitution Court," he said.

In the event of the Constitution Court ruling today that the April 2 election is valid, the PAD can still seek a further ruling by the Supreme Court, Suriyasai said.

Similar cases on the questionable validity of the April 2 polls are also pending in the Administrative Court and Suriyasai said that the PAD could pin its hope on those cases if the Constitution Court ruled that the polls were valid.

The Constitution Court is scheduled to meet and announce its ruling on the validity of the April 2 election at 10am today, said one of the court's judges, Jumpol na Songkhla.

He said the court has worked on the case without any outside pressure and denied speculations that the judges have faced heavy lobbying from certain political figures.

"However, I cannot guarantee whether the court's ruling will be what is expected by the general public or not," he said.

Another Constitution Court judge, Manit Wityatem, said he has studied evidence including tapes and documents submitted by the EC several times, and has already reached his personal verdict to be presented to the full-bench of the court today.

Thaksin yesterday was reserved about the court's decision.

"Whatever will be will be," he said when asked about the ruling.

Thai Rak Thai Party deputy leader Pongthep Thepkanchana said his party would accept any ruling made by the court.

"If the past election is invalidated, political parties will have to abide by any parliamentary procedures to follow," he said.

Democrat Party secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban, meanwhile, said his party would take part in the new election if the April 2 polls were abrogated by the court.

"We will unconditionally field candidates in the new election if the past polls are repealed," he said.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn,

Suphon Thanukrit

The Nation