The list of the five newly-designated Election Commission members, including its chairman Itthiporn Boonprakong, is expected to be forwarded to His Majesty the King for royal approval on Aug 3, National Legislative Assembly chairman Pornpetch Wichitcholachai said today.

The NLA last month endorsed five of the seven candidates nominated for the commission.

The five commissioners-designate met yesterday to elect Mr Itthiporn as chairman of the commission.

Mr Pornpetch said he would check to see whether the five have already resigned from their former positions. He expected to forward the list to His Majesty the King for royal approval at the soonest on Aug 3 or next week.

The NLA chairman said he personally wants the EC to work as a team to make sure that it can smoothly take over the responsibilities to be handed over by the outgoing EC.

While waiting for a royal command on their appointments, they should begin to study work from the outgoing EC.

As for the two other EC members remaining to be selected, Mr Pornpetch said he would sent a letter to the Supreme Court president to fix the date for the selection committee to hold a meeting, which should be some time next week, to discuss the selection method.

Mr Pornpetch said he personally wants the selection to be made through an application process not through recruitment.

However, the decision rests with the selection committee, he added.