Today will be a chance for the 250 appointed senators to prove their mettle. By late evening, the 250 members of the Upper House and 500 MPs in the Lower House are expected to have cast votes on a charter amendment seeking to strip the Senate of its power to take part in electing a prime minister.
The charter amendment plan calls for a change to Section 272 of the constitution which has cast an unfavourable light on the neutrality of the Upper House.
The amendment is being pursued via five draft bills, one of which is sponsored by Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, Seri Ruam Thai Party's policy steering chairman. The Somchai draft came about after a sign-up campaign garnered more than 70,500 signatures. The amendment, if passed, would retain the Senate's neutrality in politics and enable the next government to be formed free of influence from an unelected Senate.
Yet, the odds of the amendment being passed are not promising. To clear the first hurdle, the draft needs more than 50% of votes from both houses. More important, a third of the votes in favour -- or 84 -- must come from senators.
So far, it is reported that only 50 senators, including Wallop Tangkananurak, Wanchai Sornsiri and Kamnoon Sidhisamarn will back the motion. Most of their colleagues are remaining tight-lipped about their voting intentions, as are MPs from the coalition government.
It would be a pity if the bill is voted down.
Senators must not forget that their parliamentary role is legislative and not just about choosing the prime minister. Indeed, it is voters who choose the prime minister through the MPs their votes carry into parliament. Since first established in 1946, the Senate, whether appointed by the lower House or junta governments, has been the predominant enforcer of House checks and balances.
The Senate must not lose sight of the fact that Section 272 is a "transitional chapter" and will expire next year. The charter writers invented this clause to ensure peace following the disbandment of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in 2018.
Section 272 was written to solve potential deadlocks by letting senators vote if there was no majority in the Lower House and no agreement on a suitable candidate. In June 2019, 249 senators voted to reinstate coupmaker-in-chief Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to the role of premier.
But this clause compromises the neutrality of the Upper House. Needless to say, it will play a key role again following the next general election, favouring some political parties; their votes may again determine who will become next prime minister.
It is sad for the country that the role of its senators has become so twisted and politicised. To be fair, most of the 250 senators are experts in their respective fields -- among them some well-regarded executives, academics, deans and industry leaders.
Tomorrow, those 250 senators will have a last chance to prove that they are greater than junta-appointed senators. Hopefully, they will make a good choice and give democracy a chance by supporting this bill.
