Bangkok (VNA) – The Election Commission (EC) of Thailand announced on May 13 that the application period for candidates to run in the next Senate election has been set for May 20-24.
The Senate election process started after the five-year tenure of the 250 senators installed by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) ended on May 10.
According to Thailand's 2017 charter, the new Senate will comprise 200 members from 20 professions who will not be directly elected by the public. The applicants will vote in three stages, starting with intra-professional groups and then inter-groups at the district level.
From May 11, candidates can get the forms and documents to fill out to introduce themselves and certify their knowledge and experience to run in the election at Bangkok's district offices and provincial registration offices nationwide between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm every day.
Candidates are only allowed to introduce themselves to other candidates with A4-sized posters and are not allowed to make it public. Candidates are also not allowed to give media interviews.
Successful applicants from various professions who emerge from the district-level polls will go on to cast inter-group votes at the provincial and national levels.
The intra-elections at the district level will take place on June 9, followed by inter-elections at the provincial level on June 16. The final inter-group election at the national level will be held on June 26.
The election results will be announced on July 2.
Unlike the outgoing Senate, the new one will not be allowed to co-elect a prime minister but will retain their power to scrutinise the government, and endorse legislative bills and appointments to independent agencies./.
