Competition from more regular people may make it more difficult for powerful numbers to win.
In an effort to make it harder for powerful people to rally into Parliament, political campaigners are using the Songkran vacation to persuade returnees to encourage their families and friends in their house provinces to get seats in the Senate.
Campaigners see a great opportunity to spread the word about the election for the lower house, especially regarding the chances that they will win. People are using the longer break to hug their loved ones at home.
A number of participants and activists traveled to locations where tourists can begin their inland travels, such as bus stops and the Pathum Thani Rangsit area.
Nutchapakorn Nammueng of the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw ), who has been distributing flyers explaining the Senate election in Rangsit and the Mor Chit 2 bus terminal since Friday, said he was satisfied with the response on Tuesday.
“The greeting I received from passers-by was cool, ” he said.
Most of the people Mr Nutchapakorn and his associates talked to, especially the young ones, had heard about the Senate election, he said, he added.
945 people have so far indicated they want to work for the lower house, and the campaign started at the beginning of this month.
The politicians are hopeful that more finalists will move forward if they are unsatisfied with the figure.
“We don’t consider the variety is that high, ” said Pongsak, a WeWatch charity, who declined to give his last name. ( Story continues below )
Two protestors are affiliated with iLaw’s Nutchapakorn Nammueng in Rangsit, Pathum Thani. ( Photo: @NutchapakornTha X account )
Nearly two organizations are partnering with iLaw and WeWatch to promote the campaign’s goal of encouraging more senators to run for office.
They object to the results of previous elections, which included mostly powerful candidates. In the age of primary elections, the Senate was mocked by the internet and the general public as a family-business body as MPs fielded their ladies or close family and won the election.
The military program chose the majority of the current lower house, which is made up of 250 senators. Its name did come to an end on May 11, but its people will continue until their replacements are chosen. The district-level election is scheduled to begin on June 22, and the federal election could start in early July. Later May or early June is the ideal time to register.
Only 200 people may be elected for the new Senate, which could be the most challenging electoral system in the world. The Election Commission (EC ) created it in the hope that the complex method would at least make block and vote-buying more challenging.
The vote consists of three layers: district, provincial and national. At the city level, 55,680 people may be elected, consisting of the top three candidates in each of 20 expert and civil society organizations across 928 towns.
From this lake, 3,080 people will get elected from the top two finishers at each municipal level, covering 77 regions.
Eventually, the 200 legislators will be elected from the top 10 prospects in each team at the federal level.
Campaigners have claimed that the voting system also favors people who are both wealthy or affiliated with political parties despite the fact that it was created to ensure justice in the eyes of the EC. The 2,500-baht subscription cost, according to them, seems great for people living inland, and ordinary people may be discouraged from running because taking part in all three stages may take time.
Additionally, young people wo n’t be allowed to vote because candidates must be eligible voters who are at least 40 years old.
However, Mr. Nutchapakorn of iLaw claimed that young voters also have a chance to influence decisions at home or in their neighborhoods. He claimed that more individuals from the electorate’s divisions could prevent more powerful individuals from being elected senators because of their wealth and influence.
“Independent voting could reduce the chance for vote collusion, ” the iLaw activist said.
We sincerely hope that their support of a candidate’s choice to run for president may support the real meaning of an election. That is democracy, ” he added.
