Row over EC man's remarks

Rewat was responding on Facebook to Somchai’s statement that giving Interior officials responsibility to hold elections was like giving swords to bandits. His comment caused anger in Interior ministry circles and went viral on social media.
“If Interior ministry officials were like bandits, you are a super bandit,” Rewat said, adding that Somchai should apologise for insulting officials. He said he had submitted letters to members of the confederation in every province to take action or protest against Somchai. He would submit the petition at the central EC on January 19.
“The ministry officials work hard behind the scenes helping organise elections and it is bad enough that you steal the show but you also insulted us. If officials are slighted because of your bad words, they do not turn up to help organise elections for 30 per cent, you will have problems with elections,” he said during a media interview.
Former Kampaeng Phet governor Krit Arthitkaew demanded an apology from Somchai, saying he had hurt the feeling of 300,000 Interior officials.
Election Commission member Boonsong Noisophon also criticised the idea for Interior and Education ministry officials to replace the EC in organising elections. He said opposition parties would protest because elections must be organised by a politically neutral body – and such officials were linked to a ruling camp and thus likely to act under government influence.
He urged the reformers who came up with the idea to review the idea, saying the 1997 charter had replaced Interior Ministry officials with the EC.
Problems in the poll in February last year were not caused by the EC but legal ambiguity. Reverting to the old way would cause political chaos.