The EC bill is among four organic laws essenฌtial to the coming election, and the first to be passed by the NLA earliฌer this month.

The NLA submitted a notification letter, dated yesterday, to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) as well as asking it to submit a name list of five members to sit in the joint committee. The joint comฌmittee would comprise 11 members – 10 from the NLA and the CDC, and one from either the EC or the Constitution Court.

The procedure is prescribed by the Constitution which allows the Constitutional Court or concerned agencies to petition against an organฌic law which has passed NLA delibฌeration and endorsement.

The CDC yesterday agreed to send its chairฌman Meechai Ruchupan and other four members – Prapan Naikovit, Pakorn Nilprapan, Pattara Kampitak, and Supachai Yawabhrapas – to join the joint commitฌtee.

The EC had petiฌtioned to revisit the draft law on clauses involving its authority to halt an election when finding irregularities, its authority to hold elections for local administrations, and the dismissal of the current commissioners – the most debated issue of all.

The revision of the draft law must be completed within 15 days after the joint committee has officially been set up. The NLA had said earlier the settingup could be completed at the end of this month and the revision by July 15.

Another organic draft law on political parties, which was passed by the NLA on June 15, is likely to face a revision because of the controverฌsial primary vote system.

CDC chairman Meechai said that the committee was currently reviewฌing the draft law, which was previฌously revised by the NLA before its passage, to examine whether or not it was constitutional.

The CDC had met with the EC, which had contributed to writing the contentious bill and would be responsible for enforcing the law. The EC had told the drafters that it believed the primary vote system would work and it was not unconฌstitutional.

Meechai, however, said yesterday that if there was any problem which could affect the constitutionality of the law, he would himself join the joint committee to amend it.