By Thai Newsroom Reporters
IN WHAT WAS SEEN as a last-minute twist of a significant political phenomenon, former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, brother-in-law to de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, has been outvoted for senator.
The former prime minister has been finally denied adequate votes by fellow contestants at national level of the triple-tiered senatorial election held by the Election Commission yesterday.
Somchai, a native of Chiang Mai who had earlier passed the district and provincial tiers of the senatorial election, has been earlier speculated to be named Senate speaker, given his being closely related to the de facto Pheu Thai boss.
Somchai is historically noted for his preposterous failure to run the country for a single day from Government House where “Yellow Shirt” protesters had literally occupied in mounting pressure to deny his rule in 2008.
Pheu Thai-attached Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said Somchai’s defeat in the complicated senatorial election evidently refuted allegations that the Pheu Thai-led government had been clandestinely involved in any electoral rigging of the race to parliament.
Nevertheless, many big-name contestants have been voted among a total of 200 winning candidates including former lawmakers and former provincial governors as well as other high-ranking government officials.
Unlike the total 500 MPs who have been voted by constituents nationwide, the total 200 senators have secured votes from among fellow contestants themselves ranging from the district and provincial tiers to the national or final tier of the election.
All senatorial candidates have been divided into 20 categories of profession which they may currently hold or previously have held for a living each of which being represented at parliament by 10 winning candidates.
Meanwhile, Election Commission Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee confirmed investigations are going on to bring any electoral rigging suspects to justice amidst allegations that they had been hired as “puppet” candidates and accepted kickbacks in exchange for their votes for certain contestants.
Those who could possibly be voted senators would almost certainly have their senatorial status immediately withheld by court, pending trials and verdicts, if they were evidently accused of perpetrating such electoral wrongdoings, according to the polling agency’s secretary-general.
CAPTIONS:
Former premier Somchai Wongsawat. Top photo: PPTV HD 36, Front Page photo: Naewna
Also read: Some senatorial candidates allegedly held money talks at hotels
Police panel upholds order to temporarily sack ‘Big Joke’
Chaengwattana badly flooded after heavy rain
Commentator confirms Penguin ‘has fled’ after no-show at court
PM mum on Swedish lobby on air force’s fighter purchase plan
Sudarat dares Pheu Thai to promise to not scrap party-list mode
