Senator Nantana Nantavaropas will submit a petition to the Constitutional Court seeking a temporary suspension of the Senate's authority to approve appointments to independent state agencies.
Sen Nantana said on Sunday the petition is currently being finalised and is expected to be completed by Monday. She is striking now while a probe into the senatorial elections is underway, claiming it raises questions about their legitimacy.
The petition will be submitted to Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajja, along with the signatures of at least 20 supporting senators, before being forwarded to the Constitutional Court.
The petition calls on all 200 senators to temporarily refrain from duties related to the approval of officials in independent organisations, citing investigations into alleged collusion among many senators. The duties include forming vetting committees, reviewing candidates' ethical conduct and qualifications and voting to approve appointments.
Sen Nantana said she believes that more than half of all senators may eventually face formal charges, adding the investigation raises questions about the legitimacy of their election.
"If senators whose election is under scrutiny take part in approving the leadership of agencies tasked with verifying their legitimacy, it creates a conflict of interest that undermines transparency and mutual accountability," she said.
If the approval process moves forward despite these concerns, decisions made by these independent agencies may later be challenged as invalid, particularly if those approving them are found unqualified. Therefore, she urged that senators suspend the relevant parts of their duties until the investigations is completed. Once the issue is solved, she believes the approval process can resume without long-term damage.
Sen Nantana said the petition would be submitted to the court as soon as possible so that it would be considered before the Senate meeting on May 29. She believed the petition would receive support from fellow senators more than required.
Asked if the petition would also request the court to consider whether certain senators lose their membership due to political affiliations, Sen Nantana said no final decision had yet been made.