EC asks media to help explain complex 3-step senatorial election
The Election Commission on Monday met representatives from media organisations to seek their help explaining the complicated upcoming senatorial election process to the public.
EC chairman Itthiporn Boonpracong met the media representatives at the EC head office to explain the election process with the hope that the media would to in turn later explain the process to the public.
Earlier, the EC had announced more than 210,000 people had so far expressed their intention to vie for 200 Senate seats once the current Senate completes its term on May 10.
At the meeting Itthiporn explained that the next 200 senators will be elected by the applicants from 20 career groups in three steps – the district election, provincial election and national election.
Each candidate will be allowed to apply for only one group, and one district only. After the eligible candidates for Senate membership pass the qualification verification, they would enter the self-selection process within the 20 groups. Once representatives are chosen at the district level, they will proceed to self-select at the provincial level. Afterwards, the selected representatives will go through a self-selection process at the national level.
After going through the selection process at all three levels (district, provincial, and national), the top 10 candidates with the highest scores from each of the 20 groups will be appointed to serve as senators, totalling 200 individuals.
Itthiporn said the upcoming election process would be different from those held in the past, and so the EC needs the media to clearly explain it to the people and those interested in contesting a Senate seat.
The EC chairman also assured media representatives that the commission and its partners are fully ready to ensure a clean and fair election for the next Senate members.
Itthiporn also pledged to provide equally convenient services to all groups of applicants.
The EC chairman explained that there was a somewhat similar senatorial election in 2018 but in that year applicants came from 10 groups, not 20, and the election process was completed in one step rather than in three steps.
Itthiporn also asked the media to warn those interested in entering the contest to check their qualifications carefully and to apply to the proper group.
Potential applicants with questions can call the EC hotline 1444, Itthiporn added.
He said the EC has also appointed an election inspector to monitor breaches against the election law by officials in charge of overseeing
