By Thai Newsroom Reporters
AN INITIAL STEP TOWARD the senatorial election, scheduled for the upcoming Sunday, might probably be put off by the Election Commission tomorrow (June 7), pending a Constitutional Court ruling on the existing rules governing the complicated, triple-tiered race to parliament.
The election commissioners will likely decide tomorrow whether to postpone the district-level senatorial election, scheduled nationwide for Sunday, pending the Constitutional Court’s ruling anticipated in a couple of weeks from now, a source in the polling agency said today.
The initial, district level of the triple-tiered election might probably be delayed for a period of time to save the Election Commission from legal battles which could possibly arise if the polling agency continued to apply the contentious rules in alleged violation of the constitution’s organic law pertaining to the unprecedented kind of election, according to the source.
If finally found guilty as charged in court, the election commissioners could possibly be held accountable for an expensive fine to pay in damage compensation as had been the case with some of their predecessors, the source said.
Petitions have been recently filed and taken into account by the Constitutional Court in protest of the Election Commission’s rules under which no contestants are allowed to vote for more than one candidate in addition to picking themselves at district or provincial or national level.
The petitioners contended that such prohibition could probably be deemed tantamount to a breach to the organic law on the senatorial election and called on the Constitutional Court to overrule it.
Under the rules currently adopted by the polling agency, each contestant running for senator can pick two choices from among fellow candidates including themselves at each level.
The contestants are prohibited from picking more than one candidate besides themselves though they may not vote for themselves with purported intent to spare the other choice for another candidate.
The petitioners have insisted that they be legally allowed to pick not just one but two candidates, regardless of whether they may pick themselves for one or not.
That the polling agency is imposing such prohibition is evidently a breach to the charter’s organic law governing the senatorial election, they said.
Over 46,000 people have applied to run for a total of 200 senators beginning with the district-level election scheduled for Sunday, followed by the provincial level on June 16 and the national level on June 26.
All contenders are divided into 20 categories of profession with which they may currently make or have previously made a living with the right to vote for those in the same category as their own and those in other types of career.
Unlike an election for MPs, no constituents anywhere are involved in the unprecedented kind of senatorial election in which all contestants are legally obliged to pick winners from among fellow candidates including themselves at each step along the triple-tiered race to parliament.
Some contestants have been accused of conspiring in premeditated schemes designed by “Big Houses” in the provinces to turn certain fellow candidates into senators whilst as many as 149 out of the total 200 winners have already been viewed as shoo-ins at district and provincial levels.
In Thai political jargon, “Big Houses” refers to well-known, provincial- or national-level political figures who may have been elected MPs, named members of cabinet, heads of provincial administrations and mayors or have had their relatives assume those powerful positions, either currently or previously.
CAPTION:
Top: The Constitutional Court logo overlaid on some ballot boxes.
Front Page: Ballot boxes for senatorial election. Both photos: Thai Rath
Also read: More Bitcoin mining dens to be raided in Chiang Mai
PM rooting for England In UEFA Euro 2024
German tourist dies after falling from Pattaya hotel
Emergency room worker plays mobile game while checking sick child
PM downplays hearsay of Thaksin on the run from lese majeste case
Majority satisfied with Bangkok Governor Chadchart: NIDA Poll
