Thailand: EC may seek a court ruling regarding MP-seat system

• The Election Commission (EC) is contemplating about approaching the Constitution Court to seek its ruling on the legality of its calculation method and allocation of party-list seats.
• EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said that the EC was studying laws in Section 91 of the charter and Section 128 of the organic law governing the Member of Parliaments (MPs) election on the allocation of party-list MPs seats, though it has already produced its own calculation which is awaiting final approval at an upcoming EC meeting.
• A Democrat Party executive said that EC should approach the Court to seek its ruling so that the matter can be put to rest, which came amid major parties criticising the EC’s calculation method of disadvantaging larger parties, though reports say a revised EC calculation method would make it possible for some small parties to gain at least one MP seat (with 30,000 to 40,000 votes each, down from 71,000 votes).
• Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former Democrat Party MP candidate who formerly served as election commissioner, said that the calculation must follow the charter, insisting that the required number of votes for one seat was about 71,000 and that any party with fewer votes would not qualify. According to the process, only 14 parties were eligible for party-list seats.
• Meanwhile, Gen Viddhavat Rajatanun, chief of the Office of the Ombudsman, said the office was considering whether to accept the petition calling for the nullification of the 24 Mar 19 poll, which was submitted by a former member of the defunct-Thai Raksa Chart Party.

External Link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1659780/ec-mulls-court-verdict-on-its-mp-seat-system