The bill sailed through the NLA with 197 votes for, no votes against, and seven abstentions.

The bill will be enforced after promulgation without further delay.

Legislators made a major change to the bill by cutting the number of groups in the Senate from 20 to 10.

Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) member Chartchai Na Chiangmai argued against the move. The number 20 had been concluded from a public survey, he said. The bigger number guaranteed that there was a greater variety of members in the Senate, he added.

NLA member Somchai Sawangkarn, however, claimed that the bigger the number of groups, the smaller the number of members and the higher risk of block voting.

It could open the way for political groups to interfere more easily, he argued.

The CDC, which drafted the bill, had designed the Senate to consist of professional guilds in the first place because, it wanted to keep political influence away from the Upper House and make it truly representative of the people.

Somchai said that unless the number of groups was reduced, it was very likely that the Senate would not be independent as hoped.

Eventually, the NLA endorsed the change with 166 to 35 votes and five abstentions.

The vote came despite fierce criticism of the groupings. For instance, women, people with special needs and the elderly were put into the same group, raising the question of whether this was discrimination.

The NLA also agreed that the Senate would come from two origins. Half would be independent candidates while the other half would represent professional associations.

CDC member Udom Rathamarit cautioned against the move, saying it was beyond what the Constitution allowed.

Other major changes were with the selection process. Previously, the CDC had laid out that the Senate be cross-selected among the groups. But the NLA concluded that representatives be elected by members within their group.

The application fee has also been increased twice, from Bt2,500 to Bt5,000.

After its passage, the bill willbe submitted to related agencies for review. If they disagree, a joint committee will be set up to revise the bill.

If the agencies do not raise any issue, then the bill will be sent to the prime minister to seek royal endorsement.

TEN SENATE GROUPS

1. Public administration and security: former public servants, officials and others

2. Law and justice: former judges, public attorneys and other legal professionals

3. Education and public health: former teachers, lecturers, researchers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others

4. Agriculture: farmers, stock raisers, fishermen and others

5. Non-government employees: blue- and white-collar workers, freelancers and others

6. Environment, real estate, public utility, science, media, energy and others

7. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

8. Women, the elderly, people with special needs, ethnic groups

9. Arts and culture

10. Other

The Administrative Court on Friday issued a court order to the Royal Thai Police to facilitate members of People GO Network to carry on their long march from Thammasart University to Khon Kaen. The order says police should refrain from conducting any operation against the exercise of freedom of expression by the activists until the end of the march on February 17.

The court ordered the police to follow their duty as per the Article 19 of the Public Gathering Act to provide security, manage traffic and ensure the protest will follow the law and is peacefully arranged.

However, police still reserve the right to ask the court to cancel the protest and to issue other enforcement if the protesters violate the laws

Maj-General Piyapong Klinphan, spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said on Saturday that security agencies would monitor the movement in order to keep peace and order.

He said he believes there will be no violence or chaos.

“We will communicate with them in a lenient way, issue warnings and ask for cooperation. But if there is anything that violates the law, we will tell them not to [do that] because it is unlawful and violates others’ rights. Finally, it would be a bad example for others,” he said.

An assembly set to be held by the Democracy Restoration Group at 5.30pm on Saturday at the skywalk over the Pathumwan intersection as a mark of defiance against the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and protest against the possible delay of the next general election.

The gathering is aimed at protesting the National Legislative Assembly’s passage of the MPs election law that could effectively postpone the next election by another three months.

“We know they intend to portray an image of disorder with the protest because the place [where they will hold the protest] is a public space. But what we need now is peace in the country. I beg you not to do anything violating the laws,” said Piyapong, who is also commander of the 11th Military Circle.

Piyapong added that the movement should submit letters to the NCPO directly if they wanted to register their disappointment, rather than stage a demonstration, because this is not the right time to do so.

After staging the coup in 2014, the NCPO issued an order banning political gatherings of five people or more.

The election was tentatively scheduled for November this year.

“The assembly of citizens desiring to vote” will be held by the Democracy Restoration Group at 5.30pm at the skywalk over the Pathumwan intersection, central Bangkok, as a mark of defiance against the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

“If we let it [the delay of the election] happen without doing anything, the NCPO will, in future, find ways to postpone [the election] again and again,” the group wrote on its Facebook page yesterday.

The group said people who feel sick about the “indefinite” delay in the holding of the election were invited to join forces and voice their discontent so that the NCPO would realise people will not tolerate their use of power for their own interests.

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) late on Thursday passed the MPs election bill with a clause that delays it coming into effect for 90 days after its promulgation.

Critics have slammed the move as indicative of the NCPO’s desire to cling on to power.

The government’s most senior figures – the prime minister and his first deputy – have sent conflicting signals as to when the next general election will be held.Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said during his trip to India yesterday that he acknowledged the possibility of an election delay following the passage of the revised MPs election bill. But he said the matter is not yet finalised and his government would stick to the road map to the coming election. “It’s still not finalised if the election will be postponed or not [from the tentative schedule]. I don’t know what will happen. This matter is about the legal mechanism,” the PM said.

Prayut said the situation was created by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which passed the law, and he could not over-ride its authority. However, his government has a road map and is following what has been announced, Prayut said, without elaborating on specifics.

Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday that an election would definitely be held and added that there would be no further delay. He held out the possibility of the junta lifting the ban on political activities if the situation was calm and procedures were followed.

“It’s good [that the NLA has passed the bill] because people keep asking when the election will be held,” Prawit said.The NLA late on Thursday passed the MPs election bill with a clause that delays it coming into effect for 90 days after its promulgation.The lawmakers voted 213 to zero with four abstentions, after almost 14 hours of deliberations.

As a result, the next election, tentatively scheduled for November this year, could now be delayed until February next year.Prawit yesterday declined to comment on a remark that the passage of the bill would result in the road map being delayed, saying the NLA had decided on the matter and so no further questions were needed.

Prawit also said there was no need to explain the move to the international community, which has repeatedly shared its concerns over Thailand being governed by a junta-backed government since 2014.The international community wishes to see the election held, and it will be, said Prawit. It has just been delayed for three months, he said. It is clear that no further delay would take place, and the current delay still follows what was permitted under the charter. The deputy PM said he could see no reason to impact the election timing.If the situation is calm and procedures are followed, the junta would consider lifting the political ban, he added.

Prawit also rejected the notion that the junta had pressured the NLA to delay the election. The bill originated with and was passed by the NLA, which considered the amendment well into the night, he said.Following the passage of the MPs election law, Prayut said yesterday he was ready to abide by it as well follow other legal procedures. This, he said, did not mean he was sending a signal to anyone. Prayut vowed to perform his duty to the best of his abilities and any changes would follow procedures as required by law. He also urged that other people, as well as politicians, do their part to the best of their ability.

The prime minister said everyone wants to have the election, but he asked whether the country would find itself back in the same situation. To make the country stable, the premier urged people to think things through, look at every aspect, and come up with measures to deal with it. This is Thailand, he said, and people who are in the same democratic circle are all Thais.

The junta chief said if the election was delayed, nothing much would change as the government would follow its road map and the required procedures. The government has been pursuing three key steps, he said – fixing immediate problems, preparing the constitution and related laws, and preparing for reforms.

The premier concluded that the delay was not final at this point, but acknowledged that it could be when the law was passed.Meanwhile, some observers believed a 90-day delay in the election would not have any major adverse impact.Deunden Nikomborirak, research director for economic governance at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said that in her view a three-month delay in the election was “acceptable to society. But any further delay could lead to uncertainties and raise questions whether there would actually be an election at all,” she added.

Chalat Chinthammit, assistant vice president of Khon Kaen Sugar Industry Plc, said yesterday that he did not think an election delay would affect Thailand’s credibility in the eyes of foreign investors if the government had a clear timeline and reason.Meanwhile, veteran politician Somsak Prisanananthakul, from the Chart Thai Pattana Party, said the NLA decision to stay the enforcement of the MPs election law for 90 days would adversely affect Prayut’s credibility although the PM denied interferring with the work of the legislature.

“However, I am still convinced by the prime minister’s words that there will be an election by November this year,” he added.

THE GOVERNMENT’S most senior figures – the prime minister and his first deputy – have sent conflicting signals as to when the next general election will be held.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said during his trip to India yesterday that he acknowledged the possibility of an election delay following the passage of the revised MPs election bill. But he said the matter is not yet finalised and his government would stick to the road map to the coming election.

“It’s still not finalised if the election will be postponed or not [from the tentative schedule]. I don’t know what will happen. This mater is about the legal mechanism,” the PM said.

Prayut said the situation was created by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which passed the law, and he could not over-ride its authority. However, his government has a road map and is following what has been announced, Prayut said, without elaborating on specifics.

Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday that an election would definitely be held and added that there would be no further delay. He held out the possibility of the junta lifting the ban on political activities if the situation was calm and procedures were followed.

“It’s good [that the NLA has passed the bill] because people keep asking when the election will be held,” Prawit said.

The NLA late on Thursday passed the MPs election bill with a clause that delays it coming into effect for 90 days after its promulgation.

The lawmakers voted 213 to zero with four abstentions, after almost 14 hours of deliberations.

As a result, the next election, tentatively scheduled for November this year, could now be delayed until February next year.

Prawit yesterday declined to comment on a remark that the passage of the bill would result in the road map being delayed, saying the NLA had decided on the matter and so no further questions were needed.

Prawit also said there was no need to explain the move to the international community, which has repeatedly shared its concerns over Thailand being governed by a junta-backed government since 2014.

The international community wishes to see the election held, and it will be, said Prawit. It has just been delayed for three months, he said. It is clear that no further delay would take place, and the current delay still follows what was permitted under the charter.

The deputy PM said he could see no reason to impact the election timing.

If the situation is calm and procedures are followed, the junta would consider lifting the political ban, he added.

Prawit also rejected the notion that the junta had pressured the NLA to delay the election. The bill originated with and was passed by the NLA, which considered the amendment well into the night, he said.

Following the passage of the MPs election law, Prayut said yesterday he was ready to abide by it as well follow other legal procedures. This, he said, did not mean he was sending a signal to anyone. Prayut vowed to perform his duty to the best of his abilities and any changes would follow procedures as required by law. He also urged that other people, as well as politicians, do their part to the best of their ability.

The prime minister said everyone wants to have the election, but he asked whether the country would find itself back in the same situation. To make the country stable, the premier urged people to think things through, look at every aspect, and come up with measures to deal with it.

This is Thailand, he said, and people who are in the same democratic circle are all Thais.

The junta chief said if the election was delayed, nothing much would change as the government would follow its road map and the required procedures. The government has been pursuing three key steps, he said – fixing immediate problems, preparing the constitution and related laws, and preparing for reforms.

The premier concluded that the delay was not final at this point, but acknowledged that it could be when the law was passed.

Meanwhile, some observers believed a 90-day delay in the election would not have any major adverse impact.

Deunden Nikomborirak, research director for economic governance at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said that in her view a three-month delay in the election was “acceptable to society”.

“But any further delay could lead to uncertainties and raise questions whether there would actually be an election at all,” she added.

Chalat Chinthammit, assistant vice president of Khon Kaen Sugar Industry Plc, said yesterday that he did not think an election delay would affect Thailand’s credibility in the eyes of foreign investors if the government had a clear timeline and reason.

Meanwhile, veteran politician Somsak Prisanananthakul, from the Chart Thai Pattana Party, said the NLA decision to stay the enforcement of the MPs election law for 90 days would adversely affect Prayut’s credibility although the PM denied interferring with the work of the legislature.

“However, I am still convinced by the prime minister’s words that there will be an election by November this year,” he added.

Prayut said the matter is driven by the National Legislative Assembly, which passed the law and he could not over-ride its authority. However, his government has a roadmap and is following what has been declared, Prayut said, without elaborating what that meant.

Following the MP law’s passage, Prayut said, he is ready to follow it and other legal procedures that follow. This, he said, did not mean he is sending a signal to anyone. Prayut vowed to perform his duty to the best of his abilities and any changes would follow procedures as required by law. He also urged that other people, as well as politicians, do their part the best they can.

Prayut said everyone wants to have the election, but he asked whether or not the country would find itself back in the same situation. To make the country stable, the premier urged, people should think things through, looking at every aspect and coming up with measures to deal with it.

This is Thailand, he said, and people who are in the same democratic circle are all Thais.

Prayut said if the election was delayed, nothing much would change as the government would follow its roadmap and required procedures. The government has been pursuing three prime steps, he said – fixing immediate problems, preparing for the constitution and related laws and preparing for reforms.

The premier concluded that the delay was not finalised at this point, but acknowledged that it could be when the law was passed.