The Thai Senate can meet without House, but best wait: Panas

[webfact]

The Senate can meet without House, but best wait: Panas
SOMROUTAI SAPSOMBOON
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- A SENATE meeting in this period when there is no House of Representatives is possible - but it is not necessary, former senator and drafter of the 1997 Constitution, Panas Tassaneeyanont said.

Panas, who was also a Pheu Thai MP candidate, said that if an opening of a Senate meeting in 2006 under Thaksin Shinawatra's caretaker government was to be considered the norm, such a meeting was possible. However, the meeting should be held only when the newly elected senators take office.

The government and Pheu Thai Party insisted that the government could not issue a Royal Decree on the opening of an extraordinary parliamentary session, as requested by Deputy Senate Speaker Surachai Liengboonlertchai.

Surachai proposed such an extraordinary session be opened to consider impeachment of former Senate Speaker Nikom Wairatpanij, the appointment of National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) member candidate Supa Piyajitti and the appointment of Administrative Court specialists.

Panas said that the meeting in 2006 was for the appointment of Election Commission (EC) |members as there was no EC at that time - and the EC was necessary to hold an election after the House dissolution in the same year.

However, he said, the appointment of the people on Surachai's agenda was not urgent. Also, impeachment of Nikom was not possible as it was for the Parliament president, chosen from the House speaker position, to issue a Royal Decree for a meeting for the purpose, Panas said.

Nikom was an elected senator whose term ended last month and was indicted by the NACC as having violated the charter while chairing a meeting on charter amendment related to the composition of the Senate.

Nikom is seen as an elected senator with a close relationship to the Pheu Thai Party.

Article 132 of the Constitution says that after the term of the House ends, or in the case of a House dissolution, a Senate convention is possible only in some particular cases, including appointment and impeachment of people as authorised by the charter.


-- The Nation 2014-04-14

[Robby nz]

Article 132 of the Constitution says that after the term of the House ends, or in the case of a House dissolution, a Senate convention is possible only in some particular cases, including appointment and impeachment of people as authorised by the charter.

Well that's what the senate needs to do isn't it ?

[Thait Spot]

Article 132 of the Constitution says that after the term of the House ends, or in the case of a House dissolution, a Senate convention is possible only in some particular cases, including appointment and impeachment of people as authorised by the charter.

Well that's what the senate needs to do isn't it ?

Indeed it is

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[rickirs]

.." the meeting should be held only when the newly elected senators take office."

I completely agree. New Senators have been elected and there are no time constraints on the Senate to address improper behavior of government officials. To rush into an extraordinary meeting for that purpose only taints the conduct of the Senate, whose members must be politically nuetral, as being politically bias. Furthermore, such a meeting disrespects recent election of new Senators whose membership in the Senate is constrained only by administrative procedures.

It is approrpiate that the Senate wait. Given the vast plain of political conflicts that are exacerbated by too many agencies rushing around making snap decisions and judgements, Thailand would benefit with the Senate conducting its affairs with more moderate deliberation.

[Robby nz]

.." the meeting should be held only when the newly elected senators take office."

I completely agree. New Senators have been elected and there are no time constraints on the Senate to address improper behavior of government officials. To rush into an extraordinary meeting for that purpose only taints the conduct of the Senate, whose members must be politically nuetral, as being politically bias. Furthermore, such a meeting disrespects recent election of new Senators whose membership in the Senate is constrained only by administrative procedures.

It is approrpiate that the Senate wait. Given the vast plain of political conflicts that are exacerbated by too many agencies rushing around making snap decisions and judgements, Thailand would benefit with the Senate conducting its affairs with more moderate deliberation.

This politically neutral thing is of course a lot of <deleted>, Is the wife of the red leader who stood for a senate seat politically neutral ?

Most of those who are at present in the senate and those who have been elected will have some sort of political leaning.

Hopefully there will be a balance with enough in the middle who can make decisions based on law, truth, fact, common sense and logic rather than party affiliation resulting in fair and balanced decisions.

The only reason for delay at this point would be if some party thought they may have enough of the newly elected senators on their side to sway decisions in their favor.

And of course to delay decisions that are sure to go against them.

[Scamper]

" Article 132 of the Constitution says that after the term of the House ends, or in the case of a House dissolution, a Senate convention is possible only in some particular cases, including appointment and impeachment of people as authorised by the charter. "

It should not surprise that the opinions of a " former Pheu Thai MP candidate " ( which rather suggests he wasn't actually successfully elected ) are in lock-step with Thaksin and Pheu Thai. In the meantime, Article 132 makes it pretty clear that such a forum can take place. And the Constitutional Court will almost certainly concur.

[siampolee]

Panas, who was also a Pheu Thai MP candidate, said that if an opening of a Senate meeting in 2006 under Thaksin Shinawatra's caretaker government was to be considered the norm, such a meeting was possible. However, the meeting should be held only when the newly elected senators take office.

In Thaksinspeak as used by Panas it translates as ''My way or no way.'''

[focus27]

For all the twists and turns, this was always going to be the terminus - barring an all-out conflict, of course.

The Senate, in its role as the only functioning part of the National Assembly, has the power to select a fresh council of ministers. Let's see how they get around the sticking point that the actual PM needs to be a member of the House.