Bangkok: "Chulaphan" clarifies that the election of the Social Security Board has not been postponed yet, pending a court ruling on whether the original date of September 27th can be used. According to Thai News Agency, the Minister of Labour explained the delay in the Social Security Board elections, stating that the Supreme Administrative Court granted a stay of execution following a petition. He indicated that if the court's ruling is favorable, the earliest possible election date would be September 27th, as originally scheduled. He affirmed that the elections will definitely take place.
Mr. Julaphan Amornvivat, Minister of Labour, gave an interview regarding the petition filed with the Administrative Court to postpone the Social Security Board election. He stated that the petition was filed with the Supreme Administrative Court concerning the legality of the registration announcement. The Administrative Court granted a stay of execution and temporarily suspended the process. Therefore, what the Social Security Office could do was hold yesterday's (July 27) meeting of the Social Security Election Committee. This was not a postponement, but a delay pending clarification from the court. If the ruling is positive, allowing the election to proceed, and the stay of execution is lifted quickly, the original election timeline will be maintained.
Furthermore, Mr. Chulaphan stated that there are two aspects to the situation: firstly, the regulations of 2021-2022, which were the original regulations when he assumed the position of Minister of Labour. There were demands from the public and various civil society groups to expedite the election process. He recognized the necessity for a fully empowered board to function within the Social Security Office as soon as possible. Due to the calls to use the previous election process, he adhered to the previous regulations and issued announcements mirroring past procedures. However, since there were complaints, it was considered a right, and the court had granted a stay of execution, so he had to comply and wait for clarification.
The next step for the Social Security Office is to appeal the injunction against the original order, which is within its authority and responsibility, in order to allow the election to proceed according to the correct process. The appeal against the injunction will be filed, and all legal procedures will be followed.
When asked about observations that politics were involved and that there were attempts to prevent the election from taking place, Mr. Chulapan said he didn't want such extensive analysis and criticism. He stated that he didn't know the complainant personally, only that they were a lawyer, but had never met them. Regarding the reasons for the complaint, he couldn't analyze it, but acknowledged that it was a legitimate action within the law, as there were avenues for such action. As for whether the election date would be postponed, he still hoped it wouldn't, as it was crucial to have a new Social Security Board that could effectively carry out its functions. He emphasized the need for the election to proceed as quickly as possible. Regarding future events, he said some things were beyond his ability to predict.
When asked about the opposition's claim that the government lacked sincerity in organizing this election, Mr. Chulaphan said that such a statement was inappropriate. He said he had spoken with several members of the opposition, the Social Security team, and the Progressive Social Security team, and that the government had demonstrated full sincerity and followed all procedures. However, since complaints were filed, they were outside his control and supervision, so the matter had to be handled according to the proper procedures and in accordance with the law.
I confirm that the Social Security Board election will definitely take place. Ideally, it could happen as early as September 27th, the scheduled date. However, if there's a real emergency, such as if the court rules in a particular direction, there will need to be a process for amending regulations. Whether this is necessary depends on the court's decision, and there are legal avenues for such adjustments, which could potentially delay the process. Nevertheless, the election must happen. I affirm that we will push for it to happen on that date.