Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) may hold the upcoming election on Sunday May 14th, but not later than May 24th, after the promulgation of the Royal Decree to dissolve the House today (Monday), according to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.
Between now and election day, he said that ministers who have not quit will continue to perform their duties while engaging in election campaigning, as he advised them to adhere to the EC’s guidelines covering what they can and cannot do.
For instance, he said that a minister can attend a wedding ceremony and present gifts to the married couple, but cannot take to the stage to give a speech. Mobile cabinet meetings cannot be held during the period and events which draw many people together cannot be hosted by a minister, except for annual events such as the Songkran festival.
Additionally, the government is required to seek approval from the EC if it wants to transfer a senior official or an executive of a state enterprise, Dr. Wissanu explained, adding that government officials may engage in political campaigning, because this is not banned by the election law, but they may be found guilty of disciplinary violations for not being impartial in the election.
