NEW ELECTION COMMISSION CHOSEN; ELECTION DATE WILL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 005568

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

TREASURY PASS TO FRB SAN FRANCISCO/TERESA CURRAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM TH
SUBJECT: NEW ELECTION COMMISSION CHOSEN; ELECTION DATE WILL
BE SET SHORTLY


Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton, reason 1.4 (b) (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The new election commissioners have been
chosen and are expected to meet soon to set an early date for
the new election, which will most likely be held in November.
Overall, the five new EC members are viewed as appropriately
non-partisan. Opposition complaints that the openly
anti-government candidates lost seem to us inappropriate --
after all, the commission is supposed to neutral. The
selection of the Election Commission brings us one important
step closer to the long-awaited new elections. End summary.


2. (C) The outgoing Senate has chosen five new members of
the Election Commission, taking another important step toward
resolution of the political impasse here. The Commissioners
will meet later this week to choose a Chairman and are
expected to propose a new election date shortly. While some
opposition groups are campaigning for a top to bottom review
of Election Commission officials in the provinces -- which
could take months -- most people are expecting the date to be
set for sometime in November.


3. (C) The five commissioners were selected from 10
candidates nominated by the Supreme Court, and most of our
opposition contacts said that all were acceptable. One
outspoken government opponent told us that one of the
candidates was extremely corrupt (he lost) and another was a
"womanizer" (apparently not a problem -- he won a seat.) The
opposition press complained that there was "block voting" by
a group of senators who are covert supporters of the Prime
Minister's Thai Rak Thai (TRT). (Note: Senators are supposed
to be non-partisan, but a large number were reportedly
co-opted to support TRT -- and a smaller number to support
the opposition. End note.) Further demonstrating the new
independence of the high courts, three of the 10 candidates
seemed, if anything, to be inclined against the Prime
Minister's party. These included the judge who researched
the case against TRT (for hiring small parties to run in the
April election) and who recommended that the party be
dissolved. None of these "anti-government" candidates won.


4. (C) Comment: Although there is some kvetching from the
opposition that none of "their" three candidates made the
cut, it seems to us fair enough that that candidates with a
track record of opposing TRT were not chosen for the
politically-neutral Election Commission. The new
commissioners were more eagerly awaited that Tom Cruise's
baby; they will enjoy at least a brief honeymoon while
everyone rejoices that we are one important step closer to
the new elections.
BOYCE