NONTHABURI, June 26 (TNA) – The Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) is confident that today’s national selection of senators will conclude with the full roster of 200 members.
The final 2,995 candidates, representing 20 professional groups, have already been narrowed down from about 46,000 applicants through district and provincial levels.
The Election Commission expects to officially announce the names of the 200 senators, along with a reserve list of 100 by July 2.
Thailand’s Senate selection process, designed under the 2017 Constitution, does not allow the general public to vote. Instead, candidates who meet legal qualifications and pay a 2,500-baht fee are eligible to vote.
The system involves “self-selection” within professional groups and “cross-selection” among different groups.
The new senators will replace the 250 “interim” senators appointed by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), whose term ended on May 10, 2024.
Today’s Senate election is being held at IMPACT Forum, a convention centre in Nonthaburi province.
In the morning session, the first round of voting will take place. Candidates will vote within their professional groups, and the top 40 vote-getters in each group will advance to the final round, totaling 800 candidates.
Afterward, representatives from the initial selection in each group will draw lots to divide into no more than 4 sub-groups, with 5 professional groups in each.
In the second round of voting, candidates will vote for candidates from different professional groups within their sub-group.
After the voting concludes, the top 10 candidates in each group will be selected as official senators, totaling 200. -819 (TNA)
