Meechai said the CDC had attended a meeting of the committee vetting the law and eventually agreed with the idea to reset the EC.

Meechai said as the election scheduled for between late 2018 or early 2019 drew near, there would be more EC members who would vacate their posts following the expiration of their terms, which could pose a problem in selecting people to fill the vacancies.

The reset would follow the enactment of a new law as the best option and least complicated process, Meechai said.

He added that resets would not automatically be applied to other independent agencies, which should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The EC was expected to see the greatest changes to its structure, he said.

“Reform is inevitable and may pose some impacts, so if we agree to take this path, it may hurt a bit,” said Meechai.