Parliamentary Election To Be Held On March 2nd

[Jai Dee]

Parliamentary election to be held on March 2nd

The Assistant to the Spokesman of the Prime Minister's Office, Pol. Gen. Prachasan Chanasongkhram (ประชาสรรค์ ชนะสงคราม), says the Cabinet has yesterday (January 2nd) approved the bill for holding the senatorial election in accordance with the Constitution Act, Article 295.

The Election Commission (EC) will hold the senatorial election on March 2nd this year.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 03 January 2008

[Jai Dee]

Senatorial election to take place on March 2

Deputy Spokesman of the Office of the Prime Minister, Col.Prachasant Chanasongkram (ประชาสัณห์ ชนะสงคราม), reports that the Cabinet has approved the Senatorial Election Bill in line with the organic laws of the 2007 Constitution.

The Election Commission (EC) proposes March 2, 2008, to be the senatorial election day and requests the Council of the State to expedite consideration into the election.

At the same time, the Cabinet has also approved budget for the construction of 400 units of Ban Ua Arthon (บ้านเอื้ออาทร) House to revive the Din Daeng (ดินแดง) Community.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 03 January 2008

[Jai Dee]

EC Chairman says reshuffle to take place after senatorial election

The Election Commission (EC) Chairman, Mr. Apichart Sukhagganond (อภิชาต สุขัคคานนท์), says the EC reshuffle will take place following the senatorial election on March 2nd. He says the reshuffle will be done normally like other state agencies.

Mr. Apichart says he does not believe that Election Commissioner Somchai Jungprasert (สมชัย จึงประเสริฐ) will resign because there are no conflicts within the commission and the EC members are still holding meetings regularly.

Mr. Apichart says it is not yet necessary for the EC to ask for military protection from the Council for National Security (CNS) while the commission is considering issuing yellow and red cards to certain Member of Parliament (MP) candidates.

The EC Chairman declines to comment on Democrat Party’s MP candidate Chaiwat Sinsuwong (ไชยวัฒน์ สินสุวงศ์)’s request to the Supreme Court to invalidate the December-23rd general election.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 03 January 2008

[sriracha john]

Senatorial election to take place on March 2

Deputy Spokesman of the Office of the Prime Minister, Col.Prachasant Chanasongkram, reports that the Cabinet has approved the Senatorial Election Bill in line with the organic laws of the 2007 Constitution.

The Election Commission (EC) proposes March 2, 2008, to be the senatorial election day and requests the Council of the State to expedite consideration into the election.

- ThaiNews

[sriracha john]

Thailand kicks off selection of first post-coup Senate

BANGKOK - Only one person was nominated Thursday in the first day of a 15-day nomination period, 15 months after the military staged a bloodless coup ousting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and dissolved parliament in September 2006.

Applications for appointed senatorships appeared lacklustre at Election Commission headquarters Thursday, but dozens of people are expected to show up before the January 17 deadline.

A total of 74 persons will be named as senators without being elected under the new electoral rules.

On the other hand, another 76 persons will be elected in provincially-based contests set for March 2 in order to have each of the country's 76 provinces represented in parliament by one senator.

The only applicant nominated so far was identified as Gen. Lertrat Rattanawanich, former inspector general of the armed forces, who had been recommended by Permanent Secretary for Defence Gen. Winai Phatthiyakul.

The panel of seven persons, empowered to select the 74 unelected senators from among all qualified applicants, include top judges and head of independent organisations such as the Auditor General Office, the National Counter Corruption Commission and the Election Commission.

- MCOT

[sriracha john]

Thailand launches selection of first post-coup Senate

BANGKOK, Thailand - The process for filling Thailand's 150-seat Senate began Thursday. A selection committee that is to appoint 74 senators opened a 15-day nomination period Thursday.

Under a new post-coup constitution, the upper house of parliament is comprised of 76 senators who are to be elected March 2 and 74 senators appointed by the seven-member committee.

The committee is comprised of judges, the Election Commission's chairman and the heads of certain independent agencies, such as the National Counter Corruption Commission.

The committee choses from candidates nominated by government agencies, universities and private companies that are nonprofit and nonpartisan, said Sutthiphon Thaweechaikan, the Election Commission's secretary-general.

The period for nominations runs through Jan. 17.

Thailand held parliamentary elections Dec. 23 for its 480-seat lower house. The pro-Thaksin People's Power Party won 233 seats and has linked up with three smaller parties to form a coalition government with 254 parliamentary seats.

The final numbers could change when the Election Commission announces results this week from a probe into election violations. The lower house is scheduled to convene Jan. 22.

- Associated Press

[Scott]

Is this another nation-wide election?

[maxcrc]

it should be an indirect election, according to the new cOnstitution....

Edited January 4, 2008 by maxcrc

[sriracha john]

Senate selection process begins

Two candidates were nominated for senatorial posts two days after the selection process began. The two are Lertrat Ratanavanich from the Office of the Permanent Secretary of Defence and Nilawan Petcharaburanin from the Travel Association of Phetchabun.

The process for filling a new 150-seat Senate began yesterday, 15 months after the ousting of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

A committee tasked with appointing 74 senators opened a 15-day nomination period yesterday. The deadline for nomination is January 17. Under the new Constitution, the upper house of Parliament is composed of 76 senators who are to be elected on March 2 and 74 to be appointed.

- The Nation

[bdenner]

Why bother all does not look well for the results of the last election

From ABC Online:-

Thai "stealth coup" threatens pro-Thaksin victory

Posted 1 hour 45 minutes ago

Fears of a post-election dirty tricks campaign by Thailand's old guard appear to be coming true.

Having come within a whisker of an outright majority in December's poll, the party backing ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is facing an unusually high number of fraud complaints against its winning candidates, analysts said.

The Supreme Court has also agreed to hear three cases that could lead to the pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP) being disbanded, or some or all of the poll results being annulled.

Of 83 candidates being investigated by the Election Commission (EC), whose five members were appointed by the army after the September 2006 coup, 65 are from the PPP.

Although there is no indication how many will end up disqualified, or "red-carded" as soccer-mad Thais like to call it, the high proportion of accepted complaints against the PPP and the EC's distinct lack of openness has raised eyebrows.

"The idea of 65 suspicious cases against PPP seems odd," said Kevin Hewison, a Thai politics researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"To change the course of the election you need between 20 and 30 red cards and that seems highly likely at this stage. They may well overturn the result."

'Coup by stealth'

With so much at stake in the election, analysts thought it inevitable that the army and royalist establishment accused of inspiring the coup would pull out all the stops to ensure a pro-Thaksin administration did not emerge.

However, when the PPP beat most projections to win 233 of the 480 seats in Parliament, it appeared at first that the generals had yielded and accepted the result, even though they know they are in trouble if Mr Thaksin or his proxies get in to power.

Perhaps fearful of riling the EC, a PPP spokesman said he was not unduly concerned by the probes and hoped the party's candidates would be able to clear themselves.

However, firebrand party chief Samak Sundaravej has accused a "dirty invisible hand" of meddling in the post-election process, widely interpreted as a reference to chief royal adviser Prem Tinsulanonda, who Mr Thaksin's supporters say organised the coup.

Election commissioner Prapan Naikowit denied any bias, saying the higher number of complaints against the PPP was merely a reflection of it having the most candidates.

"We are not discriminating. The EC's investigations are fairly based on fact and evidence," he told reporters.

- Reuters

[sriracha john]

Upper House nominations trickling in

Organisations eligible to put foward candidates for senate selection are being urged to submit their nominations, which close on Jan 17. Only 12 organisations in five sectors have put forward nominees. Panthep Klanarongran, a member of the senate selection committee, said legally registered organisations should nominate their candidates to the Election Commission (EC) so the selection committee can consider their qualifications. The committee, headed by the president of the Constitution Court, will have a sub-committee conclude the qualification considerations on Jan 23 and the committee will select 74 candidates by Feb 22. The 74 appointed senators will be joined by 76 elected ones to form the 150-member Upper House. The election of 76 provincial senators is set for March 2.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/08Jan2008_news13.php

[Lilawadee]

I always wondered what 'managed democracy' worked like in practice. I'm not sure I like the concept, or that it is ultimately beneficial to any country, let alone a country as accustomed to freedom as Thailand.

[sriracha john]

EC gearing up for senate race

The Election Commission has instructed its provincial officials to get ready for the March 2 Senate election, which is likely to develop into a fierce race. Election commissioner Prapun Naigowit yesterday told a meeting of provincial election officials that the voter turn-out was targeted at 70% although the public appeared to be less than enthusiastic at the moment about choosing their provincial representatives to sit in the Upper House. The number of invalid ballots should not exceed 3%, he told the meeting.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/16Jan2008_news11.php

[Jai Dee]

More than 700 senatorial candidates vying for 74 appointed seats

Some 100 organisations rushed to submit the names of their senatorial candidates on Wednesday, the last day for the nominations of appointed seats, bringing up the total of candidates to more than 700.

The seven member selection panel will shortlist about 148 candidates before finalising the list of 74 nominees for appointment.

For the 76 elected senators, the Election Commission will start the candidacy registration between Monday and Friday for the March 3 race.

Source: The Nation - 17 January 2008