CDC may reconsider issue of MPs’ kin running for Senate

After the CDC announced its decision on Wednesday, concerns have been expressed that the upper house would not be free from the lower house’s influence.

Although senators under the new constitution would not have the authority to impeach members of House of Representatives, they could still select commissioners of independent agencies, including judges of Administrative and Constitutional Courts. These bodies have always been significant for politicians and they have sought to place their people in these commissions.

At the daily press briefing, CDC spokesman Amorn Wanichwiwatana said drafters would revisit the matter.

Drafters would put the matter in their opinion-gathering session, he said, adding that they might conduct further polls on the issue. They had not asked people yet about the “spouse parliament”, Amorn said. Since people seemed to be interested in it, drafters will revise it, he added.

Responding to these concerns, CDC chief Meechai Ruchupan asked, “How many are they?” referring to the number of politicians’ relatives sitting in the upper house. Speaking before a meeting yesterday, he said there would not be so many cases as to make it an issue.

He expressed confidence in the new method of Senate selection where candidates have to be accepted by people within their field. Besides, they would need 10 years of experience in their professional groups before they could apply, Meechai said. Political influence or popularity would not work with the new method, he added.

In the past, even when the law prohibited the “spouse parliament” practice, the CDC chairman said spouses divorced and ran in the elections anyway. He did not think debarring them was a foolproof solution, as legally divorced spouses could still be under the same roof.

“It is so strange that we have to stipulate in the laws about all this couple or spouse thing. Does it even comply with human rights?” Meechai said, expressing his disagreement that politicians’ relatives should be blocked by law from running for the Senate.

Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, a political scientist and a former member of the defunct National Reform Council, agreed with the CDC decision to allow the spouse parliament. He said it should not be a problem, as the new election method is already cautious. 

Also, like Meechai, Sombat did not believe there would be so many spouses in the two houses as to create a problem.

However, he is more worried about the qualifications of the senatorial candidates. 

On Wednesday, the CDC announced that it would not set an educational degree as a precondition for candidates. Rather, it wished them to be equipped with at least 10 years of experience in relevant fields. 

Sombat, in contrast, suggested that senators should be well educated, as they would be tasked with deliberations on issues of law. 

Also, he said they should be able to prove their seniority with at least 20 years of experience and not be younger than 45.