House can only be dissolved after EC draws up new constituencies: Wissanu
The Election Commission (EC) has to first finish marking out 400 constituencies before the House of Representatives can be dissolved, Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam said.
Wissanu was speaking to reporters after meeting EC Office secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee at Government House on Monday.
He said Sawaeng informed him that the EC will require at least 45 days to prepare for the general election because another 50 new constituencies need to be created in line with the new MPs election act that went into effect on Saturday.
“Apart from increasing the number of constituencies from 350 to 400, the population in some provinces has risen, while it’s dropped in others. This affects the drawing up of constituencies,” Wissanu said.
He also said that the newly outlined constituencies will then be reviewed by provincial election committees and governors before public hearings are held.
“The provincial election committees will also have to listen to the opinions of political parties that will contest in the provinces. This public hearing process will take about a month,” Wissanu said.
He reckoned that the process, including public hearings, will take all of February, after which the prime minister can dissolve the House of Representatives.
The deputy PM also said he will inform the Cabinet on Tuesday of his discussion with the EC secretary-general.
Wissanu reiterated that the House could be dissolved any day as long as the drawing of 400 constituencies is completed, because if the House is dissolved first, the election process will have to start in line with the law, and the EC may not have enough time to prepare for the election.
The election has tentatively been scheduled for May 7.
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