Thailand Initiates First Senate Election Since 2014 Coup

May 28, 2024

Thailand has begun the process of holding its first election for the Senate since the military took over in 2014. The previous Senate, which was put together after the coup, finished its term in May. Over 48,000 people applied for the 200 open Senate seats, which are usually filled by people who support the military and the royalist program. Very important changes include lowering the number of senators from 250 to 200 and taking away their power to choose the Prime Minister.

Procedure of the Senate Election?

Members of the next Senate will be chosen from 20 different career and social groups. Those who want to apply must be Thai citizens and at least 40 years old. There are strict requirements to meet, and there is a 2,500 baht application fee. The current Senate members who were elected after the coup and active political party members were not qualified. The Election Commission is in charge of reviewing the applications. Voting will take place from June 9th to June 26th, and the findings should be available by July 2nd.

Democratic Dimensions of the Election

Unlike the time before the coup (2000–2014), when the public had some say in how senators were chosen, the new system does not allow the public to vote at all. Voters within the pool of candidates will choose senators through a process called “intra-group self-selection.” Candidates can’t do any kind of public campaigning, like going on TV or giving public speeches.

Significance of the Election

This election is very important because it will show how much power the conservative elite will keep over Thailand’s legislative processes, such as making changes to the constitution and choosing key members for independent national bodies. The makeup of the Senate will have a big effect on the politics of the whole country, especially when it comes to how democracy reforms move forward and how the changing voter demographic is represented.

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