EC secretary-general Ekachai to step down tomorrow

Election Commission secretary-general Ekachai Warunprapha announced yesterday that he will resign tomorrow.
He told The Nation yesterday that after leaving office he would turn his back on politics for the rest of his life. "I'm fed up with it," he said during a telephone interview. His resignation, however, requires approval from the chairman of the next EC.The Senate will soon select five new commissioners from 10 names put up by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Thai Rak Thai Party legal experts yesterday opposed a call by the Democrat Party to postpone the general election and remove the Provincial Election Commission. The Democrats want the poll delayed until after the resolution of a court case that could lead to the dissolution of five parties, allowing members of dissolved parties to join other camps before the poll. Legal adviser Vichit Plangsrisakul said the election should be held on October 15 as scheduled because a royal decree had been issued and the private sector feared any delay would hurt the economy. Peerapan Palusuk, another TRT adviser, dismissed concerns the new EC would not be able to manage the election. He also opposed the call to remove the Provincial Election Commission, saying it was not fair to officials nominated legally. "If they were to file a complaint with the Administrative Court for being unfairly removed, the election could be further delayed," he said. The Nation
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