‘Group of 40’ pushes for new speaker

‘Group of 40’ pushes for new speaker

Voting for posts kicks off at nine-day session

The so-called "Group of 40" senators is likely to push for the selection of a new Senate speaker and deputies when the Upper House convenes for a nine-day extraordinary session.

The move is expected as His Majesty the King yesterday endorsed a royal decree to convene an extraordinary session of the Senate from today to May 10.

Somchai Sawaengkarn, an appointed senator and member of the group, said there is a pressing need to select a new Senate speaker and deputies. Without a speaker with full authority, the Senate's affairs will be affected, including the distribution of work to the standing Senate committees.

The newly elected senators from all 77 provinces have been endorsed by the Election Commission and they will be assigned to various Senate committees after taking office.

The Senate has been without an actual speaker after Nikhom Wairatpanich was recommended by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for impeachment over his role in the passage of the charter amendment draft to make the Senate fully elected.

The NACC's commendation forced Sen Nikhom's suspension from duty pending a decision by the Senate on whether to impeach him. Deputy Senate Speaker Surachai Liangboonlertchai serves as acting speaker and does not have the full authority of Senate speaker.

Sen Somchai said he believes the selection of the new speaker and deputies can proceed during this session. However, others doubt that and insist the law does not permit it during the extraordinary session.

He said the selection of the new Senate speaker and deputies will avert any problems that might arise due to the Senate Secretariat's interpretation of the terms of the Senate speaker and deputies.

The senator said the Senate Secretariat is being selective in citing only part of Section 124 which says the speaker and deputies can carry on until one day before the selection of their replacements takes place.

Sen Somchai said that what the secretariat cited applies if the speaker and deputies stay on until they complete their terms. But another part of the section says the status of the Senate speaker and deputies can be terminated for various reasons before their terms expire.

The issue surrounding the terms of the speaker and deputies was first raised before Sen Nikhom was recommended by the NACC for impeachment.

Tri Danpaiboon, a newly elected senator for Lamphun, said yesterday he has not made any decision involving the selection of Senate speaker and deputies.

He said he will listen to what other fellow senators have to say and he will vote for candidates who are politically impartial.

Pol Gen Jongrak Juthanond, an appointed senator, said he is ready to contest for the speaker post if nominated. The former deputy police chief is tipped as a likely candidate for the post.

He brushed aside an allegation that he has close ties with a major political party, understood to be the Pheu Thai Party, and may not be capable of maintaining independence and neutrality as the Senate speaker.

He said he never served political parties and his record showed his police career suffered when there were changes of government. He was successful, he said, because he adhered to righteousness.

According to the royal decree, the agenda for the nine-day meeting covers the endorsement of a new member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and new specialist members of the Administrative Court Commission.

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