Phuket National Reform Council candidates kept secret

PHUKET: The names of all candidates who have registered to represent Phuket as the sole “provincially selected” nominee to serve on the National Reform Council (NRC) will be kept secret until five finalists are chosen.

“About 20” people have entered the race to be Phuket’s NRC member, Phuket Election Commission (PEC) Director Kitipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette this morning.

Mr Kitipong declined to reveal the exact number of candidates, though registration ended on Tuesday (story here).

He also declined to name them, citing an order from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

“This is the same as with all other provinces in Thailand,” he said. “We will reveal the names of all the candidates who qualified for consideration sometime before September 12, when the names of the finalists will be submitted to the Election Commission of Thailand’s head office in Bangkok.”

Even the names of the final five candidates submitted to Bangkok will remain secret until the NCPO chooses Phuket’s representative, Mr Kitipong explained.

The final five will be selected by a committee headed by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut (story here).

“If the EC approves of the candidates, the names will be passed on to the NCPO, which will select one candidate from each province to present to HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej for approval,” Mr Kitipong added.

— Chutharat Plerin