Senators are in a quandary as to whether or not they will support Srettha Thavisin to be prime minister in a vote on Tuesday, although they admit the damning tax avoidance allegations against him have a bearing on how they vote.
Senator Seri Suwannapanont said on Monday the Senate standing committee on political development and public participation was reviewing a complaint by political activist and former senator Ruangkrai Leekitwattana against Mr Srettha, the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial pick. Mr Seri chairs the committee.
The review is picking up pace as Mr Srettha faces growing questions over his suitability to serve as prime minister.
His bid for the premiership is being put to a vote in a joint sitting on Tuesday, and some senators have made known their reservations about his candidacy.
Mr Srettha has been exposed by whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit for alleged unethical business dealings, including land deals, while working as CEO of real estate developer, Sansiri.
Mr Srettha has strongly denied the accusations and insisted his and Sansiri’s business practices were always done by the book.
Sansiri Plc has denied it used a housekeeper and three male security guards to hold proxy shares in a shell company set up to conceal the purchase of a 1.1-billion-baht plot of land in the Thong Lor area of Bangkok in 2016.
Some senators have also voiced concerns about Mr Srettha after Pheu Thai said it would prioritise amending the constitution once the government it leads takes office.
On Monday, Mr Seri said the allegations directed at Mr Srettha would impact on how they cast their prime ministerial vote on Tuesday.
“We’ll also take into account [Mr Srettha’s] conduct, qualifications and integrity,” he said.
Mr Seri admits fellow senators hold diverse opinions of Mr Srettha.
He added some senators were worried about Pheu Thai’s charter amendment stance. Particularly, they are apprehensive that the party is proposing an election for members of a new constitution-rewriting assembly.
“We can predict what groups will secure the assembly seats,” he said, suggesting political party-backed people will land the charter rewriting jobs.
The senator was also uncertain if the entire charter will be rewritten, possibly affecting chapters governing the country’s pillar institutions and national security.
Personally, he has not made up his mind on whether he will support Mr Srettha’s bid for prime minister.
Mr Seri advised Mr Srettha to attend parliament to showcase his vision and refute allegations against him before lawmakers proceed to make their prime ministerial vote.
However, as a non-MP, Mr Srettha is not required to take part in the session to explain himself.
Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha said he would not vote for Mr Srettha to be prime minister on Tuesday after considering his ethics. He predicted the candidate would fail to make the cut for the premiership.
However, he might contemplate voting in favour of Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra, head of the Pheu Thai Family and one of the party’s two remaining prime ministerial candidates.
But Ms Paetongtarn would also be subject to the same scrutiny by the Senate as Mr Srettha.
Another senator, Direkrit Jenklongtham, said Mr Srettha and Pheu Thai should clarify allegations against him and explain their position on charter amendment to give senators a clear idea of what changes are in store for the country.
Meanwhile, Senator Wanchai Sornsiri said about 190 senators would vote in support of Mr Srettha.
He said Mr Srettha would be comfortably endorsed as prime minister with support from a majority of the Senate.
Mr Wanchai said he based his projection on conversations with fellow senators over the weekend. A majority, about 190 in total, would vote for Mr Srettha when he is nominated for parliamentary approval on Tuesday.
“They want the country to move forward,” he said.