A group of academics has launched a public campaign that is urging senators to support the political party that wins the majority of House seats in Sunday's poll to lead in forming a new government.
The public can participate in the campaign from midday on Monday until midday Wednesday by scanning the campaign's QR code and voting whether or not they agree with the campaign, said Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, a law lecturer at Thammasat University.
The results of the campaign vote will be made public at 1.30pm on Wednesday, he said.
The campaign is designed to be a virtual public forum to convey to the rest of the nation a strong message that there should never be any organisation which doesn't come from the public that tries to distort the public consensus to help some parties gain power to govern the country, said Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket of the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).
Mr Phichai said that he also wondered whether the Election Commission, which was selected by the Senate that the 2014 coup makers installed, was being interfered with.
"I expect to see the Election Commission change the way it thinks and works so as to prove itself against the criticism that it is under the influence of those who appointed it," said Mr Phichai.
Thanaporn Sriyakul of Kasetsart University said he is optimistic that the Senate will be fair and just during the selection of a new prime minister.
The campaign is aimed primarily at communicating the public's views to the Senate, said Olarn Thinbangtieo of Burapha University, adding that the public expects all senators to respect such views.
He called on the Senate to soon make a clear stance on whether it intends to respect and support the decision made by the majority of voters.
The EC and the Senate should be aware that they should have an important role in ending political conflicts, not creating them, said Wanwichit Boonprong of Rangsit University.
"You [senators] are the people who will bring about peace in Thai politics, not war," he said.
Mr Prinya also called on the new House speaker to consider changing the order of MPs and senators voting in selecting the new prime minister so that MPs vote first.
This way, the senators will have a clearer picture of what the majority of MPs want in the prime minister selection, he said, adding the senators should then respect the MPs' will.
