BANGKOK, Nov 26 (TNA) – Thailand’s complex senate
selection process begins to find senators who will, for the first time, select
the prime minister if the House of Representatives fail to form a government
after the upcoming election next year.
Under the new system, 250 senators will come from
nominations at three levels – district, provincial and national and
appointments by the military junta’s selection committee.
District offices across the country have begun taking
applications until Friday but only few applicants showed up.
Election Commission (EC) official Vichuda Mekhanuwong said
she believed applicants might be waiting to file their applications later this
week. Overall preparations had gone very
well, she said.
Under the Constitution of 2017, if the House of Representatives
fail to reach an outright decision the Senate will join the 500-strong MPs to
select the prime minister.
A candidate will need to get support from at least 376 out
of 700 parliamentarians to win.
While many doubt that
the poll can go ahead on February 24 as planned, the government has insisted on
the date and is calling a meeting with political parties on December 7. (TNA)
