PUBLISHED : 19 Dec 2023 at 04:21
Sitthichote Intharawiset, a senior Supreme Court judge, has been named the latest election commissioner, replacing Chatchai Janprasri, who retired in June.
The Senate on Monday voted 175 to 16 with eight abstentions to install him as the Election Commission’s (EC’s) newest member.
Mr Sitthichote, also chairman of the Supreme Court’s election cases section, succeeds Mr Chatchai, who also became a commissioner through a Supreme Court nomination. He retired as a judge at the age of 70 on June 30, which automatically saw him lose his EC post. The law stipulates that one election commissioner seat is reserved for a Supreme Court member. If a position is vacant, the Supreme Court will nominate a replacement.
In the latest round of nominations, Mr Sitthichote’s name was put forward alongside Deputy Supreme Court President Sitthisak Wanachakij for the Supreme Court to decide who would be proposed to the Senate.
Both judges met the qualifications needed to be an election commissioner. The Supreme Court finally elected Mr Sitthichote by a vote of 139 out of 176 judges who attended the election session. Mr Sitthisak received 26 votes.