The bill in principle sailed through the chamber with 189 votes to zero, with five abstentions and two no-votes.

Under the Constitution, the NLA has 60 days to deliberate the draft bill through to a third-reading conclusion after being forwarded it by the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC).

CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan on Thursday presented the bill to the NLA on behalf of the CDC.

He stressed that the bill had been revised in line with suggestions made by members of the public, the Election Commission (EC), and the NLA, to ensure free and fair elections.

The new organic bill includes several strict rules. Eligible citizens who failed to vote would be punished by being denied the right to run in elections for parliament, the Senate or even for local government for two years, Meechai noted.

As well, every vote would truly matter under the new organic law, he said. Even a voter’s choice to not vote for any of the candidates would count, he said. If the no-votes won in any constituency, a by-election would be held and those candidates who had lost would be banned from running for the second round, Meechai said.

MP candidates were also required under the bill to present records of past tax payments when applying to run for election, he said.

Meechai said that the CDC had also empowered the EC to be more proactive. They now had the authority to reschedule an election if any irregularities were found.

Meechai emphasised that those found guilty in corruption cases would not be qualified to run in an election.

After the first reading on Thursday, a committee of 33 members was appointed to vet the proposed legislation.

Brief summary of the MP election bill

– The Lower House has 500 members – 350 from constituencies and 150 from the party lists.

– The election is run with the Mixed-Member Apportionment system, using a single ballot to determine results in both the constituency and national levels.

– The bill opens the way for non-traditional voting, allowing means of polling other than using the actual ballot.

– Parties wishing to contest for the premier post would submit a list of up to three PM candidates to the Election Commission during the MP application period.

– MP candidates are required to submit three years of tax payment records.

– If MPs were later found to be unqualified, they would risk losing political rights.

– The election campaign period is doubled from the previous 90 days to 180 days, with limitations on campaign budgets prescribed for the EC to deal with political parties.

– The result of the election can be announced when at least 95 per cent of the polling is complete and within 60 days in order to use it to find the number of the party-list MPs.

– The EC has the authority to reschedule an election to ensure fairness.

Election fraud

– Those involved in election fraud, would be banned for up to one year and a by-election would be called.

– If parties are involved in election fraud, punishment could include party dissolution.

– If election fraud is found after the result has already been announced, then the Courts will have authority to decide a by-election and cancel membership of the troubled MPs.

– The culprit of the fraud would be responsible for any expenses for holding a new election.

– Politicians guilty of election fraud could be banned between five to 20 years.

– A challenge to declared election results could be made within 30 days.