Senators Under Pressure Over Imminent Vote For PM

[webfact]

 

A NUMBER OF SENATORS have remained under pressure as a phenomenal voting of Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister is approaching on Thursday, said Move Forward secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon Tuesday (July 11).

 

Some of the unelected legislators have been psychologically intimidated or even threatened to get blackmailed whilst others have been offered concrete interests in exchange for their abstention from voting in a desperate bid to avert Pita’s elected premiership during Thursday’s joint House/Senate session, according to the Move Forward secretary-general.

 

Chaithawat declined to name names but expressed his sympathy for those senators under pressure allegedly exerted by those who might desperately strive to keep the Move Forward leader from taking the helm of government despite his having solid support from a majority of MPs under control of the Move Forward-led, eight coalition partners.

 

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

An image of Move Forward leader/prime minister-designate Pita Limjaroenrat inset on a photo of some senators at Parliament meeting chamber. Photo: Matichon

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2023/07/11/senators-under-pressure-over-imminent-vote-for-pm/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2023-07-12

 

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[ikke1959]

Intimidated to abstain?? Under pressure?? What is happening in a so called democratic country?? A reason more to vote for Pita so he can prosecute the culprits who are doing that.

Corruption was already known, but still.. Shocking that this can happen while they all say that they protect democracy... Do they know what they are talking about???

[eisfeld]

Bribing and even extorting members of government is a pretty serious attack on a nation. I hope they will investigate and prosecute those responsible. Heavy stuff but somehow not surprising.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Some of the unelected legislators have been psychologically intimidated or even threatened to get blackmailed whilst others have been offered concrete interests in exchange for their abstention from voting in a desperate bid to avert Pita’s elected premiership

And departing Prayut said he did all this for the people of Thailand he loved so much.

Good riddance Prayut, take your un-elected mob with you.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Chaithawat declined to name names but expressed his sympathy for those senators under pressure allegedly exerted by those who might desperately strive to keep the Move Forward leader from taking the helm of government despite his having solid support from a majority of MPs under control of the Move Forward-led, eight coalition partners.

Easy solution, have a closed yet very public vote.

A ballot box placed at the front of the voting hall.

All voters take turns to place a sealed envelope with their choice marked on the paper.

Un-impeded by those who wish to overt democracy.

The box will be opened, counted, verified  and witnessed by an independent body.

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Some of the unelected legislators have been psychologically intimidated or even threatened to get blackmailed

Yes, maybe but the whole lot should be booted out ! Maybe that is what they fear - political change and the loss of an easy job for life

[stoner]

what a disgrace. but good thing thailand isn't important enough on the world stage for anyone to give a flying f. 

 

as shown by the total lack of voice by any western nation regarding this whole fiasco. 

 

enjoy the sound of silence thailand. as the world moves on you'll be left behind with your stupid games and ego filled desires. 

[h90]

55 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Easy solution, have a closed yet very public vote.

A ballot box placed at the front of the voting hall.

All voters take turns to place a sealed envelope with their choice marked on the paper.

Un-impeded by those who wish to overt democracy.

The box will be opened, counted, verified  and witnessed by an independent body.

you would need to mark the ballots also, else you wouldn't know who voted what. You need to do that for the vote buying payment.

(recall the MPs locked in the hotel when they got paid to vote for Abhisit, but as it was a small majority, Thaksins wife tried to buy a few out with more money....)

[MikeandDow]

48 minutes ago, h90 said:

you would need to mark the ballots also, else you wouldn't know who voted what. You need to do that for the vote buying payment.

(recall the MPs locked in the hotel when they got paid to vote for Abhisit, but as it was a small majority, Thaksins wife tried to buy a few out with more money....)

You must dream of Thaksin becuase i have not seen a post with out you bring him up

the goverment already knows how to conduct secret ballots

[newnative]

Just do the right thing, Senators, and feel good about yourself.  

[bamnutsak]

They kind of knew this day would come after voting for Prayut as PM in 2019 with 250 votes.

 

 

 

 

House, Senate elected Prayut PM

       On 5 June, the MPs and senators voted for Prayut Chan-o-cha to prime minister. He beated Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit leader of Future Forward Party with 500 to 244 votes and 3 abstained.

       The combined House and Senate comprise with 750 members but only 747 were presented. Those absent were Thanathorn, suspended over an alleged media shareholding, Nakorn Pathom Future Forward Mrs. Jumpita Chantarakajorn was ill and Democrat Abhisit Vejjajiva resigned from party MP earlier that morning.

       Prayut’s 500 votes were beyond the 376 minimum requirements needed as stipulated in the constitution. All 250 senators voted to support him.

 

 

https://www.fpps.or.th/news.php?detail=n1567399255.news

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ikke1959]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Easy solution, have a closed yet very public vote.

A ballot box placed at the front of the voting hall.

All voters take turns to place a sealed envelope with their choice marked on the paper.

Un-impeded by those who wish to overt democracy.

The box will be opened, counted, verified  and witnessed by an independent body.

My idea too.. vote with ballots and open the envelopes on TV by the House Speaker....

[h90]

19 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

You must dream of Thaksin becuase i have not seen a post with out you bring him up

the goverment already knows how to conduct secret ballots

and if less senators/MPs vote you than you bribed? How would you know which should get the money and which cheated?

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, newnative said:

Just do the right thing, Senators, and feel good about yourself.  

What they think is the right thing is not what you - or millions of Thais - think is the right thing. And that is nothing new. The current political set-up was deliberately designed by the outgoing government to be able to over-rule the will of the people. That is the entire point of them being there.

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

they all say that they protect democracy... Do they know what they are talking about???

It's called "Thai-styled" democracy wherein there is only a one-party system. What I call "Faux democracy."

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Yes, maybe but the whole lot should be booted out ! Maybe that is what they fear - political change and the loss of an easy job for life

Booting out the entire NCPO-appointed Senate requires a constitutional process aside from another coup that could unilaterally re-write the constitution.

 

From limited sources I believe that a Royal Decree can order a "selection" (but not election) of a new Senate and it would be the new government (MFP Coalition headed by PM Pita?) to request and present such a Decree for royal approval and publication.

 

Note that the President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is also the President/Speaker of the House that will come from the MFP Coalition. So there should be agreement between the elected government and NLA for such a decree.

 

As the current Constitution does not allow election of the senators, the selection process might follow as precedent the same process used by the NCPO wherein the NCPO as the 'Thai government' heads the selection committee of senators and can also directly choose (as NCPO had) 50 senators and keep another 50 in a reserve list. 

[eisfeld]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Yes, maybe but the whole lot should be booted out ! Maybe that is what they fear - political change and the loss of an easy job for life

The Senators can only serve one term and it ends next year. There's no job for life.

[eisfeld]

5 hours ago, Srikcir said:

As the current Constitution does not allow election of the senators, the selection process might follow as precedent the same process used by the NCPO wherein the NCPO as the 'Thai government' heads the selection committee of senators and can also directly choose (as NCPO had) 50 senators and keep another 50 in a reserve list. 

The selection of the next 250 senators does not follow the same procedure as was done under the NCPO.  There are no 50 directly and 50 reserve list selections. The selection will happen on Amphoe, Changwat and then national level. https://www.ect.go.th/ect_en/download/article/article_20210806135906.pdf