Secret EC polling today
Amornsak Noprampa, a former Supreme Court secretary who is now a bank executive.
The Constitution requires the EC to be served by five commissioners. Aside from the three former EC members convicted last month, one other commissioner resigned after the election, while the fifth one died last year.Senior Thai Rak Thai figures are reportedly worried that individuals "not in agreement" with the government will be selected. Top party figures have even suggested that some of the favoured names could raise questions about the EC's neutrality. The last EC was widely regarded as pro-Thai Rak Thai and was urged to stand down by the heads of the top three courts after the April 2 poll was annulled. In the Supreme Court's selection process, 42 applicants had their qualifications verified, as required by the Constitution, while some others failed to meet the criteria. In the secret polling today by 86 judges, candidates will need to win more than half of the total votes, or a minimum of 44. The Supreme Court normally nominates only five candidates to the Senate. But the legislature cannot form a selection committee because Parliament is not sitting. In the absence of a parliamentary panel the Constitution allows the Supreme Court to nominate all 10 candidates. The new EC members may have only about two months to prepare for the next general election if it is held on October 15, as scheduled.
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