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88 ENHANCING ELECTIONS AS INSTRUMENTS OF DEMOCRACY IN THE ASEAN REGION

results are declared, and how petitions and objections to election results
are handled. Regulations concerning political party, a crucial political

institution, and power relations between the legislatures and the
executives were also modified to enable each pillar to work in their
own roles and responsibilities with a pragmatic way in monitoring and

balancing one another’s use of power.

The first attempt to strengthen and develop capacity of the

organization and personnel in charge with election administration and
election monitoring was made in Kukrit Pramoch’s government during

the period before the general election on 4 April 1976. The attempt
proposed an establishment of an institution or mechanism to monitor
electoral process before the Election Control Commission and the

Nonpartisan Election Monitoring Organization was finally found in
Anand Panyarachun’s government during the period before the general

election on 22 March 1992.

The above mechanism was, however, temporary as it
functioned only during the administration of some governments. There

were therefore limitations in their functioning. According to a political
reform research which studied models and best practices in election
administration and election monitoring, it was recommended that an

election commission should be established with main responsibilities in
election administration and election monitoring. With reference to the

research recommendation, the Political Reform Constitution stated that
an election commission was to be established and contained a section
concerning the election system which was to be developed in accordance

with the political reform approach.