Election Commission ready for Senate poll on March 2

POLITICS / ELECTION AFTERMATH

Election Commission ready for Senate poll on March 2

The Election Commission (EC) is ready to hold a Senate election on March 2. EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said the new government willbe asked to issue a royal decree for the Senate selection and election.

The new constitution calls for 150 senators _ 76 elected and 74 selected by a seven-member committee.

The 74 appointed senators will come from various sectors including academia, government and business.

Mr Apichart said the EC will today hold a meeting of the senate selection committee to work out a plan. Because the post of Constitution Court president was vacant, the Supreme Court president would chair the committee instead, he said.

Under the charter, the committee comprises the Constitution Court president, EC chairman, Office of the Auditor General chairman, ombudsman, National Counter Corruption Commission president and representatives from the Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court.

The senator-designates were elected as senators in April last year, but the Sept 19 military coup was staged before they could take their seats, which automatically invalidated the results.