Thailand's top administrative court yesterday suspended a by-election scheduled for this weekend in what may be a first step towards annulling this month's general election.
The Supreme Administrative Court ordered the Election Commission to cancel plans to hold a third by-election today in an effort to fill the 500 seats in the lower house of parliament, on the grounds that the court was investigating whether the April 2 snap election had been conducted in an inappropriate manner.
The decision came shortly after a meeting yesterday morning between judges of Thailand's top three courts to seek a resolution to the country's looming constitutional crisis.
The courts decided to make a speedy decision in matters under their own jurisdiction.
"We want to assure the people that the courts will not be slow and their judgements will not conflict with one another," said Jaran Pakdithankul, secretary-general of Thailand's Supreme Court.
The Election Commission has been charged with mismanaging the April 2 election by placing voting booths in such a way that anyone could see the ballots. The case is being handled by the Supreme Administrative Court.
If they ruled the Election Commission violated polling rules, the snap election could be voided.
Acting on the instructions of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, senior judges from the Supreme Court, Supreme Administrative Court and Constitutional Court met at Bangkok's Criminal Court yesterday morning to discuss the legality of the April 2 snap election which has led to widespread political confusion.
"We have decided to allow each court to decide on the matters under their specific jurisdiction," Jaran said after the meeting.
He said the three courts will treat the case as urgent and would make sure their decisions are "going in the same direction."
The main decision will be whether or not to annul the April 2 general election.
The unprecedented gathering of the country's top courts to tackle a political, rather than criminal case, follows Tuesday's unusually blunt advice to the judiciary given by King Bhumibol.
In an audience with newly appointed judges to the Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court, the king said it was the duty of the judiciary to find a way out of Thailand's looming constitutional crisis, caused by a highly peculiar snap election held earlier this month.
The king expressed misgivings about the legitimacy of the April 2 general election.
"Should the election be nullified? You have the right to say what's appropriate or not," he told new members of the Supreme Administration court. "When an election is undemocratic, you should look carefully into the administrative issues."
The April 2 election was boycotted by Thailand's three main opposition parties to protest the alleged parliamentary dictatorship wielded by populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over the past five years.
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