According to political pundits, the new Senate wo n’t as much fresh air into Thai politics as many people might anticipate because the majority of the new chamber’s members are believed to have close ties to the old guard.
The fresh Senate, which was created by the 250 junta-appointed lawmakers whose term ended on May 10, has 200 members from 20 different industries. They were never formally chosen by the electorate.
New senators wo n’t be able to choose a PM alongside their predecessors, unlike they did when they did before. They may participate in the passage of laws and constitutional amendments.
They will also be in charge of ensuring that the executive branch is kept in check and that people of separate organizations, Constitutional Court judges, and the Attorney-General are appointed.
Observers noted that the decision Pheu Thai Party’s force to amend the constitution and to record der majeste on the list of crimes that would be pardoned under the new social asylum bill may also encounter obstacles from the fresh Senate.
Under the law, any plan to alter the charter requires the assistance of one- second of the innovative 200 lawmakers, or at least 67 senators. Without their assistance, contract modifications are not allowed.
Under the law, if the Senate disagrees with a expenses, it can transfer the bill to the House of Representatives for revision, but the Upper room has no power to reject it.
According to observers, the majority of the new Senate people are alleged to be affiliated with the BJT Party.
Anutin Charnvirakul, a president of the Bhumjaithai and interior minister, recently claimed that the lese majeste clause of the Criminal Code should be ignored.
Bhumjaithai before argued that a charter-drafting assembly should be established to create a new constitution, but he insisted that Chapters 1 and 2 should be left alone.
Thailand is described in Chapter 1 as a second, unbroken, democratic-governed nation with the King as head of state. Section 2 contains parts pertaining to the aristocratic privilege.
Connections with old protect
Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Office of Innovation for Republic at King Prajadhipok’s Institute, told the Bangkok Post that more than half of the recently elected legislators are affiliated with Bhumjaithai.
” In other words, the ancient energy group also maintain impact over the fresh Senate”, he said.
He asserted that the newly created Senate would not be unlike the junta-appointed room.
” Those who continue to exert control over the majority of the new Senate have ties to the earlier Prayut Chan-o-cha state.
” They have been part of the old energy team for a long time, “he said, referring to Bhumjaithai.
Additionally, Mr. Stithorn noted that some individuals have connections to Pheu Thai, including former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and ex-president Thaksin Shinawatra’s brother-in-law, who is commonly believed to be Pheu Thai’s de facto leader. But Mr Somchai did not find elected.
” Thaksin’s profit did not help,” the statement read. He does have lost his beauty,” Ms Stithorn said.
Additionally, Mr. Stithorn stated that the new Senate did support candidates for independent organizations and that the majority of Bhumjaithai-affiliated senators will play a significant role in supporting them.
Important role in contract change
As for any law amendment, the assistance of at least one- second, or 67 lawmakers is required.
It will depend on which section of the constitution is changed. There should be no concern if a contract change is acceptable]to Bhumjaithai].
” But if the Move Forward Party]MFP] seeks to amend]Chapters 1 and 2], those lawmakers are expected to stop them”, Mr Stithorn said.
He added that Bhumjaithai’s benefit from the current Senate election system is likely to be sustained as long as it continues to do so.
He said that it will be difficult for those who want to change the Senate vote method because they also need to update the constitution’s rules governing the Senate election.
” That will not be easy because most of the senators ]affiliated with Bhumjaithai] will stand in their way”, Mr Stithorn said.
After the unofficial results of the Senate election revealed that Buri Ram, the group’s social redoubt, has the largest share of seats, 14 candidates won in the last election on June 26 and BJT is at the center of attention, the focus turned to the illegal results of the election.
Other candidates viewed as having ties to Bhumjaithai even won in different regions, according to observers.
Stithorn: More than half linked to Bhumjaithai
Up to 130 senators-elect could have affiliations with the Bhumjaithai Party, according to Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the Political and Public Policy Analysis Institute, and the rest with the Move Forward Party ( MFP ) and the Pheu Thai Party.
” This will then raise Bhumjaithai’s bargaining power in elections, and the group is expected to rise as a major social rival]to Pheu Thai and the MFP] in the future”, he said.
” The weather will now be blowing wherever those who want to sit in separate organizations are.” They are expected to mind to Buri Rum to get facilitates”, Mr Thanaporn said.
Given the majority of the new lawmakers ‘ associations with Bhumjaithai, he agreed that any efforts to alter Chapters 1 and 2 of the law and to pardon der guess offenders under the proposed asylum costs are unlikely to succeed.
According to Mr. Thanaporn,” Bhumajaithai is now perceived as an emerging liberal party and it is expected to gain support from other conventional establishment leaders.”
He claimed that he did not believe that fraud allegations may invalidate the Senate results. The Supreme Court will decide whether or not those complaints are justified by compelling information. The Senate election system will continue to be used, according to Mr. Thanaporn. ” Those who benefit from it will keep it in place”, he said.
Anutin, the president of Bhumajaithai, has denied playing a part in the Senate election despite says that many of the 200 senators-elect appeared to be affiliated with his party.
As the group leader, Mr. Anutin vehemently instructed party people not to tamper with the Senate race, and that events were not permitted to participate in the election.
Thanaporn: Sleep linked to MFP, Pheu Thai
Lack of independence
Former election inspector Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a member who lost in the Senate race, claimed that some new lawmakers who have political connections are unable to sustain freedom. ” When it comes to amending the constitution, these legislators may get influenced by officials to whom they are linked”, he said.
Mr. Somchai added that some events that are currently in power may object to a proposal to amend the contract to create a charter-drafting assembly to create a new law if the new contract negatives those parties in upcoming elections.
He added that members of independent organizations will be members of political parties with whom the new senators will have a strong influence.
” Those parties do n’t want independent organisations to pose a threat to them”, he said.
Independent organisations include the National Anti- Corruption Commission, the Ombudsman, the State Audit Commission and the Election Commission. According to Mr. Somchai, it is unlikely that the parties that profit from the Senate election system will attempt to resurrect it with a new one.
Somchai: Hard to maintain independence