Election system should be changed to One-Man-One-Vote

The committee, led by Senator Dierk Tuengfang, also agreed minimum votes required for a party to have party-list MPs should be reduced or removed, to open more chance for small or new parties to have MP seats.

According to current charter, two or three MPs represent each constituency depending on size of population, which is larger than in the previous election. Meanwhile, a party field lists of proportionate MP candidates representing eight zones around the country.

In support of "one man, one vote" system, most of the committee members agreed that a person should have an equal right to vote for one candidate, not two or three as stipulated in the present constitution.

 Moreover, MPs would be better able to take care of local people in small constituency. Some committee members saw it is easier to detect electoral fraud in small constituencies than in the large ones. Besides, a new face MP candidate can have a better chance with this system of election.

However, the others said in small constituencies the competition is fiercer and require less money to buy votes making it easier for a candidate to buy votes.

National Institute of Development Administration rector Sombat Tamrongtanyawong said in principle, constituency MPs represent their localities while party-list MPs do not stick to any particular area.

"Neither system would stop vote buying," he said.