PARTICIPANTS in a hearing yesterday on the draft organic law on the Election Commission (EC) want the new law to boost the agency’s efficiency in holding elections that are |transparent, free from fraud and vote-buying.

They also called for the new law to help ensure that the election agency will treat all political parties fairly.

Political parties agreed that it was necessary for the EC to be more powerful, as the draft advocates. But they also complained that the bill appeared to ignore the rights of other people to be scrutinised by the EC, such as politicians or election candidates.

Nikorn Jamnong, who represented the Chart Thai Pattana Party at the event, said the bill would give “brimming power” to the EC with a lot of rights to election officials.

However, he said the law appeared to ignore people scrutinised by the EC, such as politicians and election candidates. “Those people will have too few rights to protect themselves or counter allegations against them,” Nikorn said.

He called on the drafters to consider “allowing fairness” for parties and politicians.

Yesterday’s event was held at Parliament by the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC). Some 70 people attended, including representatives from political parties, the EC, Interior Ministry and general public, as well as the law drafters.

Smaller political parties also attended, including representatives of Thai Liberal, Progressive Democratic Nation and New Democracy.

Their representatives agreed that the EC must be more powerful to help them take action against people who break the law without fear of political retribution. However, they voiced opposition to a clause that would see provincial election officials replaced by election inspectors.

Thai Liberal Party’s Sommai Boonheng urged the CDC to review this clause and rectify any weakness in the system of provincial election committees, rather than replacing it with a new one.

Participants also suggested that the drafters add a requirement for EC members to declare their assets and debts, along with their spouses and underage children. They argued that the regulators also need to make themselves ready to be scrutinised.

They also called for a mechanism in the new law to help the EC complete their tasks more quickly.

In opening the hearing, CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan told the participants the law drafted by his team aimed at “bringing a new era” to the election agency. He said the main goal was to help elected assemblies of all levels get members who are good people and free from corruption so that the country and public will fully benefit.

CDC secretary Pakorn Nilpraphan said yesterday that a new EC under the new law would work in a constructive manner, instead of finding faults in politicians, as was the case in the past.