A Senate special committee will today grill the 10 nominees for the five vacant Election Commission (EC) seats.

The committee has invited the nominees to rebut arguments made against them by the public and details of investigations into their backgrounds by a subcommittee.

Panel chairman Senator Sunthorn Chindain said the interviews should take one day. To save time, the panel decided to skip allegations it believed had little foundation.

Attempts by some senators believed to be pro-government to rush the committee were being ignored. But, he was convinced the job would be completed by Wednesday so the Senate could vote for the final five commissioners.

A Royal decree calling a general election for October comes into effect on Thursday, but Sunthorn believed a new commission could be in place before that deadline.

But that would have no bearing on the panel's work and nothing could force it to cut corners.

"If our mission can't be finished then people will simply have to accept that," he said. "We will question the 10 nominees tomorrow and conclude our report on Wednesday before sending it to the Senate speaker. "It's impossible to say if the Senate can then pick five of the nominees in the same day."

If the upper house failed to select the final five by Thursday it would have to seek a Cabinet resolution convening another special session to vote for commissioners. This could result in a delay to the October 15 election.

Panel secretary and outgoing Senator Wallop Tangkhananurak, said a sub-committee chaired by Senator Sawai Phamani expected to complete its investigation on time. But it may have to wait for another sub-committee looking into political impartiality.

Wallop did not believe the Senate could finalise the commission by Thursday.

A source from the Sawai subcommittee said candidates Kaewsan Atibhodi and Nam Yimyaem faced most interest from members over allegations of political impartiality.

Former senator Kaewsan is alleged to be biased against the Thaksin Shinawatra administration.

He has been attacked for his sympathy towards the People's Alliance for Democracy and for a rejected Constitution Court petition over the Shin Corp sale to Singapore's Temasek Holdings Pte.

Kaewsan said he would explain any questions members had about his impartiality. Nam is accused of being biased against Thaksin and the Thai Rak Thai Party.

He chaired an EC probe that found the party had a case to answer over allegations of poll fraud pertaining to the April elections. He has been attacked for his relationship with former prime minister and Democrat senior advisor Chuan Leekpai.

Nerisa Nerykhiew,

Bancha Kaengkhan

The Nation