Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha delivers his speech during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the sidelines of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings in Singapore, 13 November 2018. Singapore is hosting the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under the theme ‘Resilient and Innovative’ this year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

THAILAND has proposed to host the first Asean Summit of the year in June instead of April when Bangkok chairs the group in 2019, as the country is worried about a delay in the next general election, sources said yesterday.

It is an obligation of the chair country to host two summit meetings of its leaders, one limited only to 10 members early in the year and another one with partners later in the year.

While the Thai Election Commission has denied the possibility of delaying the election tentatively scheduled for February 24, there is the possibility of the poll being held any time between February and May.

People take pictures with Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (C-R) during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the sidelines of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings in Singapore, 13 November 2018. Singapore is hosting the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under the theme ‘Resilient and Innovative’ this year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Timing the first Asean Summit during the Thai chairmanship for June would be rational in case the election was delayed until May. That would leave sufficient time for the new government after taking office, an official said on condition of anonymity.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who has made a commitment to the international community to hold an election almost every time he has travelled abroad, avoided any mention of the election while delivering his speech at the Asean business forum in Singapore. “It is a great honour for Thailand to assume the chairmanship of Asean in 2019 after Singapore,” he said in his keynote speech in Thai on the second and final day of the Asean Business and Investment Summit.

“I give you my word that Thailand will continue to push for connectivity among Asean members in both the public and private sectors in order to strengthen businesses and investments in Asean, making Asean an outstanding destination for trade and investment for the global business community,” he added.

Leaders of 10 Asean members, together with counterparts from Asia and the Pacific, gathered in the city-state to discuss a wide range of regional and global issues, including the Rakhine crisis, the South China Sea conflict, the situation in the Korean Peninsula as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) regional integration scheme.

The leaders of the group yesterday explored the possibilities of their involvement in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to the strife-torn Rakhine state, but as of press time there remained no clear solution on the matter.

Under the agreement reached at the end of October between Bangladesh and Myanmar, 485 Rohingya families – a total of 2,260 people – are to be returned to Myanmar starting on November 15. Myanmar has said that it will process 150 returnees per day.

The Asean members stressed the need to have voluntary repatriation and wanted Myanmar – a bloc member – to address the root cause of the issue. The group wanted to have a mechanism to deal with the Rakhine crisis with participation of past, current and future chairs of the group, as well as other concerned countries.

Unless the group can reach a consensus on the solution, Thailand as the next chair must carry on the mission, an Asean official close to the matter said.

Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi delivers her keynote speech at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the sidelines of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings at  in Singapore, 12 November 2018. Singapore is hosting the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under the theme ‘Resilient and Innovative’ this year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was in Singapore for the summit, made no public statements on the Asean proposal, but a source said Myanmar badly needed an Asean hand to cope with the Rakhine crisis.

“We need to solve the problem within the regional framework, before it can be brought to the United Nations Security Council,” an Asean official said.

More than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled from violence in Rakhine since August last year when militant groups attacked security outposts, prompting a disproportionate reaction framed as a “clearance operation” by the Myanmar military.

Investigations conducted by the United Nations and many others including NGOs and media found signs of ethnic cleansing and atrocities against Rohingya, and the UN human rights body called for referring the case of “genocide” to the Internal Criminal Court or other international tribunals.

As the next chair, Thailand will need to carry on negotiations on the RCEP as Asean and the six partners from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand are unlikely to reach substantial conclusions on various disputed issues, including chapters on competitive policy, during the summit this week.

Launched in 2012, the RCEP negotiations have faced slow progress due to the differences in the stages of economic development of the members.

Their remarks came after Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma refused to confirm the tentative date on Monday, which has in effect fuelled speculation that the national poll will be put off.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam pointed out yesterday that the government had not mentioned any other date apart from February 24.

“So far there has been no cause to postpone [the election]. Other sides have talked about several possible causes, but the government has never done so,” Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said at Government House.

When asked if the election calendar he announced last week meant there was no chance of a delay, he said: “Don’t assume the calendar will make a delay impossible. Whether it is possible or not is another matter.”

However, he added, that the calendar would not have been announced if the government knew beforehand of the election getting delayed.

Wissanu also dismissed concerns by many politicians that the EC’s failure to complete the designation of constituencies would result in the election getting delayed, saying it still has time to complete this job before the new law on MP elections goes into effect on December 11.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday there were no security concerns that could delay the national vote.

He told Government House reporters that the schedule still followed what the EC secretary-general had said.

“[Jarungvith] said the EC was ready to organise an election from February 24 onwards. So, that’s that,” the deputy PM said. “As of now, there are no factors for an election delay.”

However, he did not rule out the possibility of “an emergency” affecting the schedule.

“I don’t know if there will be any emergency in the future, but so far things are still fine,” said Prawit, who is in charge of security affairs and also a leader of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order.

Jarungvith reiterated his earlier remarks yesterday, saying the EC was ready to hold an election any time between February 24 and May 9, the 150-day timeframe after the new law on MP elections goes into effect on December 11.

“Whether the election is held on a date later than February 24 depends on the five existing election commissioners, who have the authority to set the date,” he said.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday called on the EC and the NCPO to clarify whether they were sticking to February 24 as the election date. “This is for the sake of people’s confidence in the country,” he said.

The ruling junta is empowered through its own order to “work with” the EC in scheduling the next election.

Abhisit, who was just elected for another term as Democrat Party leader, disagreed with suggestions that the election be delayed because certain new political parties were not ready.

“There are new parties before every election. Do we really need to keep postponing the election so everybody is ready?” the veteran politician asked.

Pheu Thai Party also demanded yesterday that the election be held on February 24, especially since Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had told international leaders of the date at the recent Asia-Europe Meeting in Belgium last month.

“Thai people are waiting for the next election and are actively preparing to exercise their voting right on February 24,” Pheu Thai spokesperson Ladawan Wongsriwong said, as she called on the EC to announce whether the election would be held on that day.

She also said that “it is not right” for the EC to not be specific about the election date, adding that certain parties’ lack of preparedness should not be a reason for the election to be delayed.

A total of 121 people applied to become members of the Palang Pracharat Party on the first day of application, said the party’s registrar, Vichien Chavalit.

Three Cabinet members who earlier were elected by a general assembly of the party as its executives were among people who applied to become lifetime members of Palang Pracharat.

They are Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana, who is the party leader; Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, the secretary-general; and Prime Minister’s Office Minister Kobsak Pootrakool, the party’s spokesman.

Other party executives also applied to become lifetime members.

A fourth Cabinet member who is an executive of the party, Science and Technology Minister Suvit Maesincee, was not present on the first day of application at the party’s headquarters in Soi Ratchadaphisek 54 of Bangkok’s Chatuchak district.

A number of well-known figures were among those who submitted their applications.

They included lawyer Songkan Atchariyasap, actor Chatthawut “Buai” Watcharakhun and Nida Poll director Napong Noppaket.

Former MPs from different political parties also were among the applicants.

More celebrities and “big names” from certain circles are going to apply later this week, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Uttama, the party’s leader, said at its HQ that Palang Pracharat had yet to invite Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to become one of its candidates for the next head of government.

“The party will nominate the persons we believe are suitable [to become prime minister]. Please wait and see if there will be any surprises,” Uttama said.

“For me, General Prayut is suitable to lead the country. But the final decision will rest with the party members,” he added.