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Published on January 17, 2008

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday said it had no right to rule on whether National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members had to resign before seeking Senate seats in the selection-quota system for which applications end today.

More than 10 NLA members are expected to be nominated with some like Admiral Bannawit Kengrien, already nominated by the Thai Lawn Tennis Association under Royal Patronage.

The EC concluded yesterday it was not its mandate to decide on the issue, but warned NLA members to consider a move carefully. The issue will be decided by a seven-person selection committee, consisting of senior judges and heads of organisations such as the EC, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Asset Examination Commission.

Candidates from civil society expressed confidence the selection of 74 senators under the 2007 junta-sponsored Constitution would be fair and transparent.

"From what I can see it's trustworthy and so I applied to be selected," said political activist Prasarn Maruekapitak, a well-known member of the now defunct People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

Prasarn said if selected, the senate spot would enable him to have a greater impact on society. "There will be more acceptance if I'm a senator because I would have been selected by a committee set up under the charter."

Prasarn said there were both pros and cons for having nearly half of the senate selected.

"We discover that fraud is prevalent in elections and people generally know about it. But a selected Senate is also like limiting it to a certain group of people," he said, adding he was not bothered by criticism he was benefiting from his high-profile role with the anti-Thaksin Shinawatra PAD movement.

Songkhla-based veteran development worker and another candidate, Bunjong Nasae, said the NGO community recently argued about the benefits of sending candidates but in the end resolved to allow as many candidates as possible to be nominated. Reservations came from some NGO workers who believe the current charter is illegitimate and that the whole concept of selected senators was undemocratic.

"If I had a choice I would choose to have them all elected," Bunjong said, adding if the selection turned out to be fraudulent, the committee would lose credibility.

Human rights expert Kamol Kamoltrakul, another of the more than 300 candidates who filed their applications yesterday, said the whole process was likely to be transparent and that diverse groups would likely be selected.

"I trust 100 per cent that good people will be selected without someone giving a list to the committee."

He agreed the problem with electing senators was the issue of vote buying and that the patronage system could not be resolved.

One applicant, who asked not to be named, said yesterday his chance of being selected was like buying a lottery. "Because I have no connections, I applied as if I had bought a lottery ticket. If I win then I'll consider it lucky."

Registration of candidates for the Senate election opens next Monday until Friday at the Public Relations Department in Bangkok and at provincial halls, said Prawing Kachachiwa, deputy secretary-general of the Election Commission.

The new Senate will have 150 members - 74 selected by a committee and 76 others elected - one from each of the provinces.

Pravit Rojanaphruk,

Prapasri Osatanond

The Nation