'Bloc-vote' opponents in Senate mull petition
Senators unhappy with colleagues' alleged "bloc voting" during last week's selection of five election commissioners are considering filing a petition with a court to oppose the practice, a Senate source said yesterday.
"We want to tell society there were senators who were unrighteous" in selecting the election commissioners, he said. Senator Winyu Ularnkul yesterday said a group of senators would today discuss whether to file a petition. Judging from the fact that the selected nominees obtained votes from the same group of senators, he said, it was possible bloc voting took place. However, Nakhon Ratchasima Senator Sawai Prammani disagreed, saying he believed no one would dare to submit such a petition as it would create more trouble for the country. In doing so, he warned, such people showed they don't want to see the upcoming election take place. Chat Thai Party deputy leader Weerasak Kowsurat also shot down the disgruntled senators' plan, saying while the selection faced criticism, the crisis facing the country today also needs to be resolved. "We are confident about the EC process since Supreme Court judges chose the 10 nominees before they were sent for the Senate's selection," he said. The People's Network for Elections in Thailand (P-Net) yesterday called all sides to stop bickering over the selection process. The Senate picked five candidates from the final 10 nominees to fill the vacant seats last Friday, it said. Yet even as the new EC was chosen, there was much criticism over the senate "bloc vote" P-Net coordinator Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said despite the criticisms, the new EC was supported by pro-government senators and was the result of a balance system where the Supreme Court fielded the nominees. "Each side has completed their duties as best as they could," he said. He called on all sides to stop blasting the Senate selection and turn to support the new commissioners, saying they should go along with the EC. P-Net will hold discussions with its alliance next week to prepare an inspection for the general election, said Somchai. Furthermore, P-Net would seek time to meet with the new EC. Setting the poll date is the duty of the EC, so politicians and others should refrain from pressuring the commissioners, he said.
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