By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE ELECTION COMMISSION will likely ratify all 200 senators-designate within a week from now, said former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn today (July 6).
Somchai suggested the Election Commission to not drag their feet too long to delay an official ratification of the senators-designate as well as 100 others in reserve and that it be publicly announced within a week from today.
Somchai said the delay in the ratification process would almost certainly be attributed to formal complaints of vote-riggings and electoral irregularities which had been lodged by defeated candidates against winning ones in the complicated senatorial election and that the postponement from last Wednesday would be primarily meant to give the polling agency enough time to take those allegations into account.
Meanwhile, Somchai doubted that many of the total 200 senators-designate will be practically independent of political parties.
All senators are constitutionally obliged to be ultimately neutral and free from influence of any political party.
The former commissioner made his comment amidst news reports that many of the senators-designate are holding hush-hush meetings among themselves with alleged intent to get in touch with certain political parties, albeit in covert, discreet fashion, and to sound out a favourite candidate to be named Senate speaker.
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Top and Front Page: Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn. Photos: Thai Rath
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