Bangkok: "Saeng" has declared the readiness to accelerate the dissemination of political party policies to the public ahead of the upcoming elections. He emphasized that eight agencies have appointed representatives to participate in the committee reviewing these policies, ensuring they are made public before the election date of February 8, despite recent border tensions.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Saweang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, discussed the ongoing review process for political parties' policies, which follows the formation of a committee tasked with examining the policies related to political party advertising expenditures. Representatives from eight agencies, spanning both public and private sectors and possessing expertise in economics, social issues, national budgets, and public policy, have been appointed. A meeting to advance this initiative is scheduled for January 13. Mr. Saweang believes that this effort will significantly aid the public in making informed voting decisions. Political parties have begun submitting their policies to the Election Commission alongside their list-based parliamentary candidate applications, although not all submissions have been completed. Officials are methodically reviewing these policies before forwarding them to the committee for further consideration.
Addressing concerns about potential repercussions on political parties if their campaign policies were rejected, Mr. Saeng clarified that none would face rejection. He explained that the Election Commission's role is to ensure that submitted policies comply with legal standards. The commission might express concerns regarding the accuracy of proposed funding methods, associated risks, and cost-effectiveness. Ultimately, policies are the responsibility of the parties, and if they fulfill legal requirements, they will be approved. The Election Commission aims to disclose both the policies and its observations promptly, ensuring this information reaches the public before they cast their votes.
In light of the recent border incident involving grenades fired onto Thai territory, resulting in injuries to Thai soldiers, Mr. Saeng reassured that election management remains unaffected. The election will proceed on February 8 as planned. Reports from the Provincial Election Commission directors indicate that the Subdistrict Administrative Organization elections on January 11 will proceed without disruption, as the affected land has been returned to constituencies, allowing residents to return to their voting zones.