EC pushes Senate selection forward
A royal decree calling for senators to be selected is expected to take effect no later than Nov 15 to ensure the vote is completed before the New Year holiday, a source at the Election Commission (EC) says.
The EC has agreed to push forward the Senate selection following a meeting with provincial governors and district chiefs who will help organise the vote, the source said.
Under the original timeline, the royal decree is likely to take effect on Nov 30 and candidacy registration should begin in early December.
Voting at the district level is expected to take place on Dec 30 and a week later, on Jan 6, provincial-level voting will be held. The national selection should proceed within 10 days of the provincial vote.
However, local authorities have expressed concern this may be inconvenient due to the long New Year vacation, prompting the EC to reschedule the vote.
According to the source, the royal decree is likely to take effect no later than Nov 15 and candidacy registration will run from Nov 26-30.
The national vote is scheduled for Dec 27 and shortlisted candidates are likely to be forwarded to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) by Jan 2.
The source said the change will not affect the roadmap to the general election because the charter only requires the Senate selection to be completed before the national poll, without specifying how far apart they must be.
The first batch of 250 senators will be selected under the provisional clauses of the charter, with the EC responsible for the intra-group vote to pick 50 senators.
The EC last month announced regulations involving the selection of 50 senators in the Royal Gazette.
They involve details of the intra-group selection of the senators, candidate qualifications and criteria to prevent collusion. Candidates will select from among their own ranks up to two contenders. They are not barred from voting for themselves.
Most of the remaining 200 senators will be handpicked by the NCPO while six seats are reserved for the three armed forces leaders, the supreme commander, the defence permanent secretary and the national police chief.
The regime-picked senate will serve for five years. It is allowed to step in and join MPs in voting for an “outsider” to become prime minister.
The term refers to a nominee not on the list of parties who is voted in by a majority in both the House and Senate. Sombat Boonngamanong, co-founder of the Kian Party, shows up outside Government House yesterday with a banner that reads: ‘Return accounts, return power to the people’.