THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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CDC makes final decision on composition of Senate

CDC makes final decision on composition of Senate

The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) resolved yesterday that 77 senators would be elected and 123 senators indirectly elected, a source said yesterday.

The 77 provinces would elect one senator each, but a committee to search 10 specialists and people of high moral grounds in each province as indicated earlier in the draft charter. The idea of the committee has been dropped so voters can freely vote for a senator. 
The indirectly elected senators would be divided into four groups. The first group will comprise of former civil servants who once served as a ministry’s permanent secretary or held post at an equal level, military officials who serve in management posts, those who served as supreme commanders, or were part of the military top brass. There can be no more than five senators from this group, instead of 10 as previously indicated. 
The second group will comprise of professionals, who will be chosen using drawing lots. There will be no more than 15 senators in this group. The reason the senators will be chosen via drawing lots is because the CDC expects candidates from up to 30 organisations, and picking names randomly would be most efficient. 
The third group will be comprised of representatives from legal bodies hailing from the agriculture, labour, academic and education, community and local sectors. Six people will be selected from each of these sectors. 
The fourth group will comprise of 68 specialists and people known for their high moral grounds, who will be selected from various sectors such as administration, legal and justice, science and technology, arts and culture, religion, consumer protection, youth and women, disabled and local wisdom advocates and others. The draft charter previously indicated that there would be 58 senators from this group. 
The CDC has also assigned its spokesman General Lertrat Rattanwanit to design the structure of the selection committee, who will select the 68 specialists.
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