GENERAL ELECTION

Foreign leaders keen on progress

Caretaker prime minister says impasse sullied reputation

International leaders want to know when Thailand will elect a new government, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra reports from Europe.

It had become highly unlikely the scheduled October 15 poll would go ahead, Thaksin said yesterday.

He told the Thai News Agency European and Asian leaders at the Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) in Helsinki had asked him about the ballot.

Thaksin added leaders offered congratulations for the improvement in Thai politics.

"Most of them are interested as to when an election will be held. They are following the democratic process and want to see our democracy continue systematically," he was quoted as saying in a TNA report from Helsinki.

Thaksin said the next prime minister would need to restore Thailand's lost credibility with the world community. Its reputation had been tarnished by political conflict. He said the country's economy and investment prospects had been affected as a result.

In Tajikistan on Saturday Thaksin told Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov an election could be held in November, according to TNA.

Thaksin told Rakhmonov light-heartedly his popularity rating might not be as high as the Tajik leader's but he hoped both of them experienced landslide victories in their respective elections.

The two leaders discussed boosting economic cooperation.

The Asem summit ends today and Thaksin is scheduled to return to Thailand tomorrow.

It is widely anticipated a general election scheduled for October 15 will be postponed in order to give a new Election Commission time to prepare for the vote.

The Senate last Friday selected five election commissioners, replacing their predecessors who either resigned or were forced to quit after being found guilty of mishandling of the April 2 election. The courts annulled that result.

The new EC members said they needed more time to prepare the election and to ensure it was free and fair.

One of the five, Sumet Oupanisakorn, said yesterday he was not a suitable EC chairman because of his age. The post should go to a younger, decisive commissioner.

He disagreed the most senior commissioner should be chairman.

The new commissioners are scheduled to meet the EC caretaker secretary-general on Thursday and are expected to discuss the selection of a new EC chief.

Meanwhile, support was growing yesterday for Kaewsan Atibodhi, a failed EC nominee, to take up the post of EC secretary-general. The former senator on Saturday made it known he was eyeing the seat.

Some politicians and activists yesterday expressed their support for Kaewsan even though the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party pointed to doubts about his neutrality.

However, Sumet and fellow commissioner Apichart Sukhakkanon yesterday said there were issues more urgent than finding a new secretary-general.

The Nation