CDC confirms hybrid system to elect and pick senators

CHARTER DRAFTERS yesterday finalised their decision to maintain a mixed system for the composition of the Senate, with some directly elected members and others selected from various groups through selection committees. 

Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) spokesman General Lertrat Ratanavanich said the 200 senators under the new charter draft would be made up of 77 directly elected by the voters, or one senator per province, and the remaining 123 would be selected through selection committees.

But, the CDC said in a provisional clause that the first set of 200 senators must be endorsed within 150 days of the constitution taking effect and their term would last only three years, he said. 

The Election Commission would hold a ballot for the 77 elected senators, while the other 123 would be selected by the government, he said. 

The government would set up a selection committee to choose senators, Lertrat said.

The provisional clause also stipulated that after the first set of senators completes their three-year term, a new set of senators would be elected and selected through selection panels and would remain for six years. The first set of senators would be qualified to take a seat in the following Senate. 

Meanwhile, a group of 200 citizens calling themselves the “Network of Subjects of the Monarchy” submitted a letter to the CDC calling for the 200 members of the Senate to be selected by His Majesty the King and 100 by various professional groups. 

The group wanted to explain the idea to the CDC, but were prevented from doing so.

In a related development, |the National Reform Council’s |panels for political reform and |the judiciary and law reform will meet on September 1 to debate the merits of the draft charter.

However, some NRC members say no one should try to influence or assume the decision the NRC will make on the matter.

Boonlert Kachayutthadej, spokesman of the NRC panel on political reform, said yesterday the meeting’s agenda includes whether the new charter will bring about democracy and clean up politics. Issues like political balance, structure and the composition of the Senate – whether members are appointed or elected – would also be discussed.

Various reformers are preparing to present expert opinions in the meeting. 

The get-together is not part of any attempt to reject the draft charter even though some NRC members involved in organising it have publicly stated that they would vote down the charter. It had not been decided, he said, whether reporters will be allowed to observe the meeting.

During an NRC session, member Kriengkrai Phumlaojaeng said that the 15 days allotted for NRC members to consider endorsing or rejecting the charter might not be sufficient. 

Many details are not yet clear, so it was improper, he said, for some NRC members to propose to reject the draft charter when all of the provisions have not yet been finalised.

If the charter does not look positive for the people, then the NRC would not accept it. No NRC member should try to lead others in making their decision, but, he said, there was no lobbying of NRC members on how they should vote.

Kriengkrai later led a small group of rural-based NRC members to hold a press conference calling on some NRC members to stop speaking on behalf of others on how the body would vote on the charter. Once the final draft is produced, he and his group would consult with locals in the provinces on the details before forming a conclusion.