6 senators – 5 top brass, police chief – will not vote for new PM: source
The five military top brass and National Police chief who are in the Senate have said they will not vote for the next PM, a military source said on Tuesday.
The top five military officers in the Senate are General Sanitchanok Sangkhachan, permanent secretary for Defence Ministry; Supreme Commander-in-Chief General Chalermpol Srisawat; Army chief General Narongpan Jitkaewthae; Navy chief Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet; and Air Force chief Air Chief Marshall Alongkorn Vannarot.
The source said the five top military officers and National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas have decided not to join the 244 other senators to vote for the next PM.
The source said the top brass and police chief have given up their right to vote on political issues because they want to maintain their neutrality.
The six had earlier announced that they would not take their salaries as senators and refrained from voting on other issues in Parliament.
The source added that it will be a while before the Parliament’s two chambers co-elect the next PM because the EC has yet to endorse the election results for the House of Representatives to convene its first meeting and select a House speaker.
The 250 senators in place were appointed by the National Council for Peace and Order and are seen as a key parliamentary mechanism to help the coup makers retain ruling power.
