Wissanu defends appointed Senate

Wissanu defends appointed Senate

Denies the chamber would be NCPO proxy

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has defended a charter proposal calling for a chamber of 250 appointed senators during a five-year transitional post-election period, arguing a lesser number will serve no purpose in maintaining a balance of power relationship with elected MPs.

He explained the appointed Senate's key role would be to safeguard the constitution, screen legislation, as well as counterbalance the House of Representatives comprising 500 elected MPs as proposed under the draft charter.

If the number of appointed senators is fewer than half of the elected Lower House, the Senate's intended role would be rendered meaningless, Mr Wissanu said.

The Senate should be made up of 250 members serving a five-year term under the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) proposal which was forwarded to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) for consideration.

They would be chosen by an independent selection panel. The NCPO wants the charter drafters to give a quota of six seats to senior state officials who are currently not members of the NCPO. The six are the permanent secretary for defence, the supreme commander, the army commander-in-chief, the navy chief, the air force chief and the national police chief.

The senators are not authorised to nominate or vote to select the prime minister or cabinet ministers, but they can hold a censure debate to ensure these political office holders safeguard the constitution and follow through with the implementation of national reforms initiated by the military regime.

Mr Wissanu did not think that empowering the appointed Senate to censure an elected government would weaken the government, saying the Senate would support any government which practises good governance.

Only when the government, with the House majority, commits any wrongdoings will the appointed Senate help the opposition keep the government in check, Mr Wissanu said.

He brushed aside concern the appointed Senate would become a proxy of the military regime, saying the appointed members would also consist of people from various backgrounds.

Asked how the NCPO and the government would respond if the CDC rejects the appointed Senate proposal, Mr Wissanu only said, "They will continue to stick to their ways and will go to vote in the referendum."

However, key Pheu Thai Party figure Chaturon Chaisaeng said the Senate would eventually be appointed by the NCPO. A proposed quota of six seats for top security officials would also mean government officials would be allowed to dominate an elected government, Mr Chaturon said.

Mr Chaturon also criticised another proposal calling on the CDC to drop its draft charter provision requiring political parties to submit up to three prime ministerial candidates each before the election, with parliament then choosing the prime minister from the lists after the poll.

He said this would enable some political parties to support someone outside the ranks of elected MPs to become prime minister and would allow for a non-elected premier to come to power.

Mr Chaturon said he believed a non-elected, prime minister would likely be either Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha or his deputy Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.

The pair are still keeping silent over this matter, Mr Chaturon said.

Gen Prayut on Friday insisted that he will not interfere with the administration of an elected government during the five-year transition.

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