A group of 30 caretaker senators today plan to lodge a formal demand for the resignation of the remaining three members of the Election Commission, telling them to accept responsibility for the botched April 2 vote.

"The incumbent members have no credibility to do their job and should quit before being thrown out of office by the people," group leader Niphon Visityuthasat said yesterday.

Niphon said EC chairman Vasana Puemlarp had only himself to blame for failing to rectify the flawed preparations for balloting despite the 30 caretaker senators alerting him about the flaws as early as March 25.

"The EC is liable to pay the Bt3-billion costs incurred for the botched vote," Niphon said.

He added that following Jaruphat Ruangsuwan's resignation on Monday, the EC has become a lame duck as its remaining three members could not fulfill the duties prescribed for a minimum of four of five members to shoulder by the Constitution.

Another EC member, Jaral Buranapansri, died last year. His seat has been left vacant due to a lack of quorum in the EC selection committee to nominate a successor.

Niphon said the legal deadlock on the EC nomination process would be solved if the three EC incumbents quit, paving the way for the Supreme Court to take charge of the nomination in lieu of the selection panel.

He said the Senate should not seek another judicial review about the judicial intervention because the three top courts had already ruled on Tuesday, sanctioning the Supreme Court's involvement.

Democrat deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said his party is mulling whether to sue the EC for its mismanagement of the electoral process. "This is a last chance for the EC members to make a sacrifice by resigning their office, otherwise they will become pariahs of society."

Alongkorn also claimed many leading figures have been applying to contest the new election with his party. "One of the Democrat newcomers is Winai Sompong, former party-list MP for the Thai Rak Thai Party," he said.

Democrat campaign spokesman Thepthai Senpong said caretaker  Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had gone back on his pledge to take a political break.

Thaksin vowed on April 5 to take a leave of absence until a new government came to power. He also said he would not accept the premiership for a third term. But he indicated this week  he was ready to resume working in the lead-up to the new election. "Thaksin is acting like a wandering spirit trying to re-enter his body," Thepthai said.