June 28, 2024
BANGKOK – With the final and national round of the senatorial election completed yesterday (June 26), the Election Commission is set to officially announce the names of the 200 elected senators and 100 reserves. If no errors or complaints crop up that could delay the announcement, the final results are expected on July 2.
The next step focuses on the Senate itself. The Secretariat of the Senate will require the 200 senators to report, which is tentatively scheduled for the day after the results are announced. Assuming this takes place on July 2, the reporting period will be from July 3 to 5.
Once all senators have reported, the first Senate meeting , tentatively set for July 8 or 9, will be convened, coinciding with the opening of the parliamentary session and thus minimising delays.
The agenda includes senators taking their oaths of office, followed by the election of the Senate President and Vice Presidents.
It will be important to closely monitor the selection process of the Senate’s head to see if it will be influenced or orchestrated.
Historically, factions have lobbied to secure positions of power within the Senate. In the past, the competition wasn’t fierce due to mutual benefits. However, this time, the situation may differ, with reports of intense rivalry among professional groups within the Senate already surfacing.
The three major political parties have invested heavily in vying for Senate power. The faction with the most elected senators will likely determine the Senate presidency. This dynamic could lead to intense competition or alliances to secure the Senate’s leadership.
Earlier predictions indicated the Senate president might come from the Red camp, but fierce competition among the Blue and Orange camps suggests a more contested outcome. The final result will reveal which faction prevails or if there will be a coalition to secure the leadership.
Following the election of the Senate president and vice presidents, the process moves to seeking royal approval. After this, the Senate will function according to constitutional duties.
The Senate’s constitutional roles include:
Legislative work: Reviewing laws passed by the House of Representatives.
Monitoring the executive branch: Raising questions, discussions and holding non-voting debates; approving nominees for independent agencies; and reviewing candidates who have already been screened.
A pressing task for the new Senate is to verify the backgrounds and ethical conduct of nominees for the Attorney General and the President of the Administrative Court. The previous Senate left these tasks incomplete, so the new Senate must finish them promptly.
Subsequent tasks involve resetting Senate operations, including amending Senate rules, establishing regular meeting schedules, and deciding whether to continue previous initiatives like the “Senate Meets the People” project.
It will be important to observe if new standing committees will be established, given the Senate’s structure with 200 members elected from 20 professional groups. This might necessitate reassigning committee roles to match expertise.
The previous Senate had 26 committees based on a 250-member structure and included two special committees for national reform and poverty reduction.
Additionally, the appointment of assistants, experts, and specialists for senators should be monitored to see if any candidates who lost the election are given positions as per pre-election promises.
The power struggle in the Senate deserves close attention, as every moment signals the political dynamics that once led to the collapse of Thailand’s democracy decades ago.