District-level selection of senators this Sunday might be postponed

There has been wide speculation that the district-level selection of senators, scheduled for this Sunday, might be postponed pending the Constitutional Court’s decision on the constitutionality of three provisions in the election law.

The Election Commission (EC) is expected to decide tomorrow whether or not to proceed on Sunday.

Earlier this week, EC Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee sent a Line message to election officials, telling them to be prepared for either the postponement of the selection, invalidation of the selection results or manipulation of the outcome to be in line with the wishes of some “political elements”.

Sawaeng observed that the three possible scenarios could be linked to the Constitutional Court’s consideration of petitions challenging the constitutionality of provisions in the senator election law.

Former Senator Wanchai Sornsiri claimed that there are political elements who are bent on unseating Prime Minister Srettha, to force the formation of a new government, disbanding the Move Forward party, to lure the party’s MPs join another party, and aborting the senate selection, to prolong the tenure of the acting senators.