Thailand's Charter drafters plan 200 senators

BANGKOK, December 25 (TNA) - Thailand's Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) plans the next Senate with 200 members and authority to check the backgrounds of nominees of Cabinet members. CDC Spokesman Khamnoon Sitthisaman told journalists on Thursday his panel has reached the consensus that the proposed 200 Thai senators should be indirectly elected from five groups of people. Khamnoon said the five groups include those from former members of the administration, the judiciary and the legislature; former key government officials, covering former armed forces chiefs and former permanent secretaries; chiefs of legalized professional organizations like the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI); civic sector and various professional organizations. The CDC spokesman stated that the proposed senators should retain their authority to propose laws and to remove the prime minister, other Cabinet members, lawmakers of both the Lower House and the Upper House and heads of government offices, but the removal should require a majority vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Besides, drafters plan to authorize senators to examine the profiles of nominees of Cabinet members before the prime minister submits their list for a royal approval and to also check and publicize the moral profiles of heads of government organizations. However, CDC has not yet proposed Thai senators' term and, under the new Charter draft, the Thai House of Representatives is proposed to nominate the prime minister for the House speaker to submit the name for His Majesty the King's approval, while the prime minister is not required to be an MP, or a member of the House of Representatives, in case of any political deadlock. (TNA)