However, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva called on the Election Commission (EC) to get rid of at least three restrictions that he said made it more difficult for people to confirm their party membership.

Abhisit said the app, called D-Connect, is able to scan the barcode on a citizen ID card and access the EC’s database on political party memberships.

However, an EC requirement for the confirmation to be done with photocopies of ID cards and household registration added a burden on the people involved, he said.

“Also, this goes against the government’s attempt to promote Thailand 4.0 policy,” said Abhisit at the party’s headquarters, where a demonstration of how to use the app was held.

The Democrat leader also said the app allowed electronic signatures on the phone’s screen but that the EC would not certify that method and instead required a paper document with signature.

Moreover, according to Abhisit, the app could be used to transfer the membership fees –Bt100 per year or Bt2,000 for lifetime membership – through banks. However, banks require endorsement from the party’s executive board, which is not possible at this time as the ruling junta does not allow political parties to hold meetings, Abhisit said.

With D-Connect, current Democrat members can confirm their membership by scanning a QR code obtained through the app and then print the form required for confirmation, according to Abhisit.

He said the party would allow its current members to confirm their membership from April 1 to 30. This service would be provided at the party’s HQ, its offices nationwide and also at members’ homes, he added.

Established in 1946, Democrat is the country’s oldest political party. It claims to have 2.89 million members, which is the highest among Thai political parties.

Abhisit said that when representatives from political parties meet EC officials on Wednesday, he would raise the legal obstacles that would make it difficult to confirm party membership electronically.

“If the EC and the NCPO really want to see a reform of political parties in a way that they truly belong to the people, they must make it easier for people to confirm their membership. They should not create unnecessary obstacles,” he said.