9 November 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
A panel developing charter referendum guidelines is debating whether it is possible to hold it concurrently with elections for the provincial administrative organization ( PAO ), which are tentatively scheduled for next year or in 2025.
Wutthisarn Tanchai, the chairman of the screen, stated that the timing of PAO elections would be discussed prior to discussions with the Election Commission (EC ) about the election process.
He claimed that the screen is considering whether or not to hold the contract referendum concurrently with the PAO polls.
The section may also inquire with the EC about the viability of electronic ballot for the vote, the duration of its holding, and the necessary funding, he said.
According to Mr. Wutthisarn, the commission’s work mainly focuses on the legal ramifications of the Constitutional Court decision on amending the charter.
The court previously decided that replacing the current contract would require amending Area 256 of the constitution, which opens the door for a charter-drafting assembly. Therefore, the court stated that a referendum may be necessary both before and after the charter was restored.
The board must determine whether the article process involves “replacing” the current charter and deciding how many referendums may be held after Mr. Wutthisarn stated that the government had announced it would not alter Chapters 1 and 2.
The number of elections that must be held is up to the government, according to EC secretary-general Sawang Boonmee.
The budget has not yet been discussed, but the EC is prepared to hold a contract rewrite vote.
The board led by Mr. Wutthisarn is one of two sub-committees under a state committee to examine the structure of the vote, which is presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. The other, led by Nikorn Chamnong, is in charge of evaluating the public’s support for rewriting the contract.