By-election expected mid-May

A by-election to fill a House seat left vacant by former Palang Pracharath (PPRP) MP for Ratchaburi, Pareena Kraikupt, is likely to be held mid-May, a source said.

Sawaeng Boonmee, secretary-general of the Election Commission (EC), has signed a letter involving a draft decree calling for the by-election in Constituency 3 to be forwarded to the cabinet’s secretariat, said the source.

Once the decree takes effect, the EC will set the date for the candidacy registration and the by-election.

The candidate application is tentatively scheduled for April 21-25 with the poll likely to be held on May 15, said the source.

Under the law, the by-election will be held within 45 days following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday to strip Ms Pareena of her parliamentary status for a serious violation of political ethics as an MP by possessing state land.

In its ruling, the…