The government Tuesday admitted its defeat and said the Supreme Court could begin new EC selection process right away after the Criminal Court convicted three election commissioners in malfeasance and sentenced them to four years in jail.

The three commissiners were found guilty of violating the election law and sentenced to four years in jail.

The court found EC chairman Vasana Puemlarp, EC members Prinya Nakchadtree and Virachai Naewboonnien guilty of mishandling the April 2 election and a subsequent election.

The court declined to suspend the jail term against them.

The huge crowd waiting to hear the verdict at the court erupted in cheers. But EC supporters became dismayed and criticised the court.

The three immediately filed a request to be released on bail before they were led to a detention room inside the court. The bail process was still going on at press time.

The suit was filed against the three EC commissioners by Democrat deputy secretary-general Thavorn Sennium on April 18.

Thavorn alleged the three with violating the Criminal Code and MPs and Senators Election Act.

The court ruled that Thavorn had no authority to file the criminal charges citing the Criminal Code but the three EC commissioners were found guilty of violating the MPs and Senators Election Act.

Anchormen of iTV announced the verdict and said the EC commissioners could lost their status automatically because they had received a jail sentence and their election rights revoked.

iTV reported that atmosphere at the Criminal Court was rather chaotic as pro-EC people tried to prevent Democrat members from leaving the court.

EC supporters threw water bottles against Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban while he was about to leave the court and hurled abuses against him, causing him to retreat back to the court.

Thavorn was interviewed on iTV that EC commissioners had lost their status because he had objected the commissioners' request to be released on bail.

Thavorn said if the commissioners were released on bail, he would ask the Constitution Court to rule that they had lost their status.

Prinya gave inteview to iTV on phone that he believed the three commissioners' status had not expired yet as the case has not been final by the Supreme Court's verdict.

Prinya also gave an interview to Nation TV that he regarded that the three EC commissioners were still in office as the case against them had not been finalised.

But the Council of State Tuesday reported to the Cabinet that the three election commissioners have already lost their status following a court ruling against them.

Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee told reporters that a senior official of the Council of State informed the Cabinet that the three EC commissioners' status was no longer valid.

Following the interpretation by the Council of State, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra affirmed with reporters that the three EC members had lost their status and the process to select a new EC could begin right away.

Thaksin expressed confidence that the new Election Commission would be appointed in a month and in time for organizing the October 15 election.

Thaksin said he believed the Supreme Court already had its choices of EC commissioners so the process to select a new EC would not take longer than a month.

The Nation