New constituency boundaries to be redrawn by end of the month: EC

In fact, even before the junta issued the order last week, it was said that the EC had already completed the job. Concerns over gerrymandering subsequently arose with critics accusing the National Council for Peace and Order of attempting to tamper with the boundaries.
The agency responded to this by saying it was not redrawing any constituencies to favour any particular group. The public |participation cited in the junta order was part of the process, but the core of the process remained consistent with the law, EC’s deputy secretary-general Nat Laosisavakul said.
After the order was issued, giving the EC extra time to hear public opinions, the agency will accept complaints and |opinions until Sunday. The matter should be finalised by November 30 before it is |published in the Royal Gazette.
“The participation process will not be prolonged any longer, or questions about when exactly the election will take place would follow,” the official said.
“The EC does not have to consider whether everyone is satisfied. After all, there are winners and losers. The agency only has to respect the law. And we won’t risk the EC’s credibility or go against the law just to entertain some particular people.”
Petitioners are advised to identify |themselves, provide their address, as well as state clearly how the constituency should be drawn according to law, Nat said.
The agency is ready to disclose the |number of complaints, but not the personal information of complainants, he said.
It has been feared that the junta might exploit this channel to ensure constituencies are drawn in a manner that it finds |beneficial.
This will not affect the primary voting, Nat said, noting that voting normally took a week to complete. Meanwhile, political parties were free to recruit members in the provinces so they can set up branches before the primary voting is conducted, the |official added.
However, EC president Ittiporn Boonpracong admitted yesterday that |constituency-drawing has been running a little behind the planned schedule, but that was due to his personal health issues.
The boundary redrawing had been |completed almost two weeks ago and the results should have been published in the Royal Gazette by November 10, but that has been delayed because he had to undergo eye surgery, Ittiporn said. He added that the EC has always followed the law, and never favoured the powers that be.