Senate to elect new speaker next Friday

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POLITICS
Senate to elect new speaker next Friday
Khanittha Thepphajorn
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Senate yesterday resolved to vote next Friday to select a new speaker and a second deputy speaker.

The 77 newly elected senators had their swearing-in ceremony yesterday, which means the Senate has its full accompaniment of 150 members and is fully functional. They voted 65 to 23 to elect the speaker and the deputy speaker on Friday. Of the senators, 27 abstained.

The terms of the former speaker and deputy speaker ended in March. The speaker is also vice president of parliament.

Yesterday was the first day of an extraordinary session, which the government initially tried to halt by not sending a royal decree to allow it to open.

The session is scheduled to run until next Saturday. Yesterday was the first meeting since the House dissolution and the Senate election.

The new Senate set up a 24-member committee to check the qualifications of a nominee for a position on the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The panel was asked to finish scrutiny of Supa Piyajitti in seven days and to submit a report to the full Senate for deliberation next Friday.

Another 24-member panel was set up to select two specialists to sit on the Administrative Court Commission.

-- The Nation 2014-05-03