The National Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed organic bills on the election of members of the house of representatives and the selection of senators despite earlier questions about their constitutionality.
Both bills were passed without amendment after changes the assembly earlier made to the legislation were scrutinised by a joint committee of the NLA, the Constitution Drafting Committee and the Election Commission.
The CDC and the EC had earlier pointed out that some provisions in the bills were unconstitutional. This in turn led to doubts the already long-delayed general election could be organised for next February as the government has promised.
The CDC had questioned the constitutionality of a clause in the house of reps bill that would disqualify holders of political positions if they failed to cast a vote without a good reason.
NLA member Somchai Sawaengkarn, a member of the joint scrutiny committee, told the NLA on Thursday the clause was aimed at ensuring holders of political positions set a good example by voting.
Mr Somchai also answered the EC's reservation about setting election campaign expenditure limits for political parties during campaigning. He said the limits would be varied to accommodate the different numbers of candidates fielded by the various political parties.
NLA members did not argue against a ban on entertainment activities during election campaigning, voting hours of 8am to 5pm, and the right of disabled people to have an assistant help them cast their vote.
The NLA passed the bill on the election of MPs with 211 votes in favour and seven abstentions. No one voted against it.
For the bill on the installation of senators, candidates would for the first five years fall in 10 professional and social groups and be selected with an intra-group voting system. The candidates' groups will increase to 20 later.
No NLA members objected to the power of the Criminal Court's Election Division to revoke the right to cast a vote and to run in an election.
The NLA cast 202 votes in favour of the senate bill, with one vote against it and 13 abstentions.
Wanwichit Boonprong, political science lecturer at Rangsit University, said circumstances forced the NLA to pass both bills so that the national reform roadmap of the government was not affected.
However, some arguable elements in the bills might be put before the Constitutional Court for a ruling.
Mr Wanwichit said that under the provisions of the legislation as passed, money remains a major factor in elections, the National Council for Peace and Order can place its chosen people in 250 senate seats, political parties will not be united, and small and medium-sized political parties will have bargaining power.