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the chairmanship of Prawet Wasi, the DDC was tasked with presenting a framework for
political reform. Their report was sent to Parliament less than one year later, on 28 April 1995.
The report proposed the transfer of responsibility for organizing elections from the perma-
nent bureaucracy to an independent and politically neutral commission with the aim of
conducting elections that are more just and clean.

Shortly after the report had been submitted, a new government with Banharn

Silapaarcha as the Prime Minister assumed office. In his policy statement to Parliament,
delivered on 26 July 1995, Banharn promised to pursue political reform and amend article 211
of the constitution accordingly to enable the establishment of a Constitution Drafting Assem-
bly, as had been suggested by the DDC. But, first, a new committee was called into being-the
Political Reform Committee (rll;ll~nd"jJ.m1,.tJ~~tJnT'Hitf)\1) (PRC). It was headed by Banharn's
brother, Chumpol, and had the task of reviewing the reform framework Prawet had produced
(some saw its major task as being foot-dragging). This exercise lasted for more than one year,
until. in November 1996, the so-called Political Development Plan was presented. The authors
of the plan were somewhat more hesitant to immediately entrust a new organization with

conducting elections. Nevertheless, the Political Reform Committee's short-term proposal
confirmed that an election commission should be established. But its role was limited to
supervision. However, in their long-term plan; -spanning a period of five years, the PRC
envisaged an expansion of the commission's task to include control. and later administering of
elections. It was also suggested that the commission should organize elections at every level
and be truly autonomous.

As it turned out. members of the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) preferred
an immediate clear break with the past. Accordingly, part 4 (sections 136-148) of the 1997
Constitution stipulates the details of a new organization called the 'Election Commission'
(ECT). It consists of, "a Chairman and other four Commissioners appointed by the King with
the advice of the Senate, from persons of apparent political impartiality and integity" (section
136 1).2 The ECT must have an independent administration, and the government is mandated
to provide an 'adequate' budget both for day-to-day operations and for the conduct of elec-
tions. The first group of commissioners (who normally serve a single seven-year term) was

appointed on 27 November 1997. Each commissioner is responsible for one of the five ECT-
sections or offices (see the organization charts in the appendix), namely general administra-
tion, investigation and adjudicafion, election administration, public participation, and political
party affairs and referendum (the ECT is also the political party registrar, and it is responsible
for conducting referenda).

The commissioners' backgrounds are very different. and so are the perceptions and

2 Quoted according to the official translation prepared by the Council of State.