THE call for selected senators has gained momentum with National Legislative Assembly (NLA) President Pornpetch Vichitcholchai yesterday voicing support for the idea, which has been backed by key government figures.

Prime Minister and National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) head PrayutChan-o-cha and Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan have called for selected senators for a five-year transitional period after the next election. They say selected senators are needed to ensure the post-election government will implement national reforms and strategies.

Pornpetch recommended yesterday that the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) consider plugging “holes” in the section in the 2007 Constitution about selection of the Senate and adopt it in the charter draft.

He warned that people who distort the content of the constitution draft could face lawsuits, as the NLA will soon deliberate on a referendum bill that will include penalties for people if their actions are deemed to be attempts to make the referendum fail.

Pornpetch agreed with the CDC about the idea of having the Senate represent social or occupational groups. He suggested that to ensure that senators were specialists, they should be recruited and appointed by a selection committee just like the 2007 charter, noting that the drafters should fix the 2007 charter’s “weak spot” and not have to go as far back as to the 1978 or 1932 charters.

He noted weaknesses in the CDC proposal for elections of representatives from various groups or professions for the Senate. First, those elected to sit in the Upper House could possibly not represent the social or occupational group that they had applied for.

Second, such a process could leave a loophole for bloc voting, as occurred in many agencies. And lastly, Pornpetch said failed candidates might file lawsuits after not winning election, which could cause delays in the Upper House opening and meeting.

Critics have alleged that some NLA members want to be selected to become senators in the next Upper House.

However, Pornpetch declined to answer when asked whether the Senate selection committee would be controversial as the “Seven Saints” in the 2007 Constitution. (The selection committee under the 2007 charter was mocked as “morally superior” because they had the authority to select senators for the whole country.)

Aside from that, Pornpetch said the NLA’s additional question in the referendum should be one that helps the country move forward. But he admitted some NLA members feared that an extra question could confuse voters and may affect the charter draft.

Political parties not happy

Asked whether the question would be about the “national government for reconciliation”, the NLA president replied that the assembly had to consider the referendum question based on whether it would have an impact on the charter draft and if it was a public concern. If not, the NLA would not propose such a question.

Meanwhile, the country’s two largest political parties – Democrat and Pheu Thai – yesterday criticised the junta’s proposal for a selected Senate to stay in power for a five-year transitional period after the election.

Democrat lawyer and spokesman Rames Rattanachaweng said that the powers-that-be could not deny they were trying to retain power and that they were addicted to it.

Rames said if speculation that the NCPO wants to bring back the 1978 Constitution, under which senators and MPs had similar authority, was true, it could be said that democracy had already died in this country.

The democrat spokesman went on |to say that the constitution should |conform with international standards. If the charter drafters follow the NCPO’s demand he would be another person to vote against it in the referendum.

Former Pheu Thai Party MP Somkid Chuakong said that the selected Senate proposal was an attempt by the NCPO to overrule a future elected government because senators would have the authority to appoint commissioners to independent organisations, which sometimes have more power than the executive body.

He said if a selected Senate was really necessary, it should have the authority to pass laws only, adding that he did not wish to see the CDC write the draft as the NCPO has suggested.

Somkid said the junta was trying to cling to power and only used talk about “reform” as an excuse to stay on longer.