Army general tops polls in national Senate election

[snoop1130]

 

The Election Commission (EC)’s vote counting began at 9.40pm yesterday and concluded around 5am today, revealing the biggest political surprise of the year. With 2,989 candidates vying for seats, the new Senate will comprise 200 members from 20 professions, replacing the 250 junta-appointed senators whose term expired on May 10.

 

Former 4th Army Region Commander General Kriangkrai Srirak, a classmate of Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, secured the highest votes in group 1 (public administration and national security) with 74. Meanwhile, former Khon Kaen MP Premsak Piayura emerged victorious in group 4 (public health).

 

Among the winners in group 7 (non-governmental employees) was Lae Dilokwitthayarat, an economics lecturer at Chulalongkorn University. Notable winners in group 17 (NGOs) included Prapart Pintobtaen, director of the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute, and human rights activist Angkhana Neelaphaijit.

 

 

Celebrity lawyer Sittra Biabungkerd secured a reserve spot, while group 18 (sports, mass media, and literature) saw triumphs for Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, president of the Southern Press Association, Nanthana Nanthawaropas, dean of Political Communication College at Krirk University, and Chib Jitniyom, Nation TV’s news anchor.

 

In group 20 (Others), notable winners included Police Major General Yutthana Thaipakdee, a former investigator of the government’s rice-pledging scheme, and Alongkot Vorakee, former deputy Uthai Thani governor.

 

The official list of 200 winners and 100 reserves will be announced today, June 27, by the EC, reported The Nation.

 

By Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of The Nation

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-06-27

 

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[dinsdale]

What a surprise. If the Senate was voted for through a general election there would be no military men voted in. This selection process and this result just shows how unrepresentative this sham selection-not election-is.

[John Drake]

I prefer the old senate.

[billd766]

5 minutes ago, John Drake said:

I prefer the old senate.

It does really matter if you prefer the old hand picked by a military coup general or not, unless you are Thai, and even they did not get a vote either.

[mfd101]

40 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

What a surprise. If the Senate was voted for through a general election there would be no military men voted in. This selection process and this result just shows how unrepresentative this sham selection-not election-is.

Well, most of the ones mentioned above look positive (university types) but of course the real question is what the balance is going to be among the 200.

 

That may take some time to become clear as groups form and deform ...

[thesetat2013]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Election Commission (EC)’s vote counting began at 9.40pm yesterday and concluded around 5am today, revealing the biggest political surprise of the year. With 2,989 candidates vying for seats, the new Senate will comprise 200 members from 20 professions, replacing the 250 junta-appointed senators whose term expired on May 10.

Why is this a surprise? Noone wants the military running the government and those generals were appointed during the Junta.

[rwill]

21 minutes ago, thesetat2013 said:

Why is this a surprise? Noone wants the military running the government and those generals were appointed during the Junta.

The only people that could vote were the people running for the positions.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Former 4th Army Region Commander General Kriangkrai Srirak, a classmate of Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, secured the highest votes in group 1

Surprise surprise.

[Srikcir]

14 hours ago, John Drake said:

I prefer the old senate.

Do you mean the pre-2014 Senate of which 50% were publicly elected? Not the 100% unelected Senate created after the overthrow of an elected government in May 2014 by military coup.

[john donson]

so who exactly could vote ?  people with influential friends?

[billd766]

19 hours ago, billd766 said:

It does really matter if you prefer the old hand picked by a military coup general or not, unless you are Thai, and even they did not get a vote either.

I miss spelled one word. My apologies.

 

It does really matter.

 

That should have been

 

"It doesn't really matter", which changes the whole meaning of the post.

 

Again, my apologies. 

[spidermike007]

Anything beats those junta-appointed crony senators who were not only toxic but were traitors to their nation and their people. Anything is an improvement over them, however an army general getting selected is obviously an indication that they still have influence. 

[Andycoops]

No doubt the general had passed out the fattest envelopes.

 

Any military person should be totally excluded from any role in the senate or for that matter in parliament as a whole.