By JEERAPONG PRASERTPOLKRANG,
CHANIKARN POOMHIRUN
THE NATION
Published on July 22, 2011

     The EC also approved another 32 MPs, who won votes in the July 3 election, thus making 402 MPs legitimate so far. At least 475 MPs out of a total of 500 are needed to commence Parliament.

     Pheu Thai candidate Karun Hosakul of Bangkok's Constituency 12 has not been endorsed because the complaints lodged against him with the EC need to be verified.

     Meanwhile, Pheu Thai's top party-list MP Yingluck Shinawatra, who planned to pick up her documents at the EC headquarters today, asked the red shirts to respect the rules - saying she believed the commission would do its duty fairly. The election had passed and the group should let the political climate remain free and fair, she said.

     Caretaker Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday also got documents endorsing him as an MP. Replying to reporters' questions on why the EC had not endorsed the red-shirt leaders, Abhisit said the group should not pressure the agency. Yingluck and Pheu Thai Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit should take action to stop them from doing so, he said.

     Abhisit said since the red shirts had supported the 1997 Constitution, the group should respect the EC, as it and the National Anti-Corruption Commission were formed as per that charter. Part of the red-shirt movement was calling for the reinstatement of the 1997 Constitution, while the current charter was an amendment of the 2007 Constitution.

     The Election Commission met yesterday to consider endorsing the third batch of MPs who won the July 3 election.

     EC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn had earlier said it was uncertain whether the red-shirt leaders would be considered yesterday.

     "I admit I'm worried that some agencies are putting pressure on the EC. The EC follows procedures as stated by the law [and there's] no such thing as an 'invisible hand's interference'. There is still more time to consider [the endorsements] before the deadline," he said.

     EC member Somchai Juengprasert, in charge of election investigations, said resolutions of the EC meetings should be respected by all - as he does - even though he disagrees sometimes. Somchai said the red shirts could pressure the EC, as long as they did not violate the law.