Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua said the Senate would choose five EC members by the end of today although the Royal decree approving the session allowed senators three days to complete the task.

The nominees, picked by the Supreme Court in August, are Wicha Mahakhun, Wasan Soipisut, Apichat Sukhakkanon, Udom Fuangfung, Somchai Jung-prasert, Prapan Naikowit, Kaewsan Atibhodi, Sodsri Sata-yathum, Sumet Oupanisakorn and Nam Yimyaem.

The session will begin with a report from an investigative panel. The Senate will then have a closed-door session to pick the five EC members, Suchon said.

Each nominee needs half of the 187 senators' votes, or 94, to become an EC member. If the first round of voting does not fill the five vacant seats, a second round will be held. The candidates who get the most votes will fill the remaining seats, regardless of the first round's results.

A source at the Senate said Apichat, Somchai, Sumet, and Prapan were likely to be selected. The last seat could go to Kaewsan, Sodsri or Wicha, the source added.

Weeks ahead of today's selection, three nominees were said to be out of the running because they were seen as being unfriendly to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai Party.

The recently-resigned senator Kaewsan had been against the government during his six years in Parliament. Former Supreme Court judge Nam chaired an EC investigative panel that asked the Constitution Court to dissolve Thai Rak Thai for hiring small parties to act as candidates in the April 2 poll.

Judge Wasan had been involved in a case relating to Thaksin's alleged asset concealment in 2001.

The EC seats have been vacant since the last commissioners resigned after a court ruling in late July that saw them jailed for mismanaging the election on April 2.

The new EC selection has also extended the need for a caretaker government, which has been in place since the House was dissolved in late February.

Senator Maleerat Kaewka said today's EC selection would be different from previous selection rounds for other independent agencies, which involved bloc voting in favour of some nominees that allegedly favoured the government. She said she had not heard of any plans to allow bloc voting this time.

Senator Wallop Tangkananurak said he believed there had been attempts to keep Kaewsan and Nam from winning the seats although he had not heard anything specific.

Another source at the Senate said Kaewsan had a chance to win an EC seat despite his stance against the government.

"He was so outstanding as a senator that he won the hearts of his former colleagues in the upper house," the source said.

Kaewsan should get votes from independent senators and other upper house members with backgrounds in government service, the source added.

A Royal decree calling for a general election for October 15 came into effect on August 24, but Cabinet secretary-general Rongpol Charoenphanthu said yesterday he believed the new EC would not be able to meet the schedule.

A new election date would be set through an amendment to the election decree, but that would have to wait for the new EC to take responsibility for the move.

Somroutai Sapsomboon

Bancha Khaengkhan

The Nation