By Thai Newsroom Reporters
NEWLY-ELECTED SENATOR Premsak Piayura alleged today (July 12) a certain political party was quietly attempting to “recruit” a number of his colleagues to covertly get under their umbrella.
Without naming names, Premsak said many among the total 200 newly-elected senators who are constitutionally obliged to be practically independent of political parties were being persuaded and tempted by the “quietly-recruiting” camp to get themselves aligned to it, albeit in covert, discreet fashion.
Unnamed partisan wheeler-dealers had quietly offered to provide some senators payoffs in cash on a regular or monthly basis plus luxury cars and staff members in exchange for their solid, unfaltering support for legislations and political moves which may be launched by that particular party, according to the outspoken senator/former MP of Khon Kaen.
Premsak said some of the newly-elected senators may already have agreed to be secretly aligned to the party in question whilst others may have categorically rejected it.
Brandishing a white wristband, the former MP-turned-senator said he has formed a group of “white senators” who will supposedly maintain their neutrality and independence of any political party with a dozen senators having so far joined in.
Senators are not only legally obliged to be practically impartial but constitutionally empowered to pick members of “independent” agencies such as the Constitutional Court, National Anti-Corruption Commission and Election Commission.
Premsak made his comments amidst criticism that many of the newly-elected senators might be covertly aligned more or less to the second coalition partner Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob.
As many as 14 winning senatorial candidates were officially reported as natives of Buriram, the largest Bhumjaithai stronghold and northeastern home province of the de facto party boss, whilst others were believed to remain more or less under the influence of Newin’s camp.
Many winning “puppet” contestants had been allegedly manipulated by unnamed political wheeler-dealers and purposely involved in bloc-vote riggings and electoral irregularities.
Slates of fellow candidates to vote in the national or final stage of the triple-tiered senatorial election had been allegedly handed out to those “puppet” contestants, many of whom had purposely filed professions with which they had falsely claimed to earn regular incomes only to fall into the desired categories.
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Top and Front Page: Newly-elected senator Premsak Piayura. Photos: Thai Rath
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