Overreach stains Senate’s credibility

A decision by the scandal-ridden Senate to slap Senator Nantana Nantavaropas with a serious charge for her “pork seller” remarks about a fellow senator who won her place in the Upper Chamber has raised eyebrows.

- Chairith Yonpiam

This file photo, dated July 23, 2024, shows Senator Nantana Nantanavaropas during a parliamentary session.

(CHANAT KATANYU)

In its 130:26 vote, the Senate ruled that Ms Nantana’s mention of Daeng Kongma’s profession as a pork seller constitutes a serious breach of ethics, as it deems it “prejudice against certain professions, and disrespect for human dignity’.

It will forward the case for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for legal proceedings.

Ms Nantana, who last year vied for a place on the Senate panel tasked with political development but lost to the latter, was quoted as saying, “The seat went to a pork seller”

Ms Daeng was said to have submitted an application for the Senate election last year, stating that she was a pork seller from Amnat Charoen.

The Senate's decision is an overreaction and appears politically motivated. It’s well known that Ms Nantana is among the minority senators, while the majority are accused of being part of the Bhumjaithai Party's network and are labelled as “blue camp’ senators.

Meanwhile, over 100 senators in the “blue camp” and Bhumjaithai Party politicians are under investigation by the Election Commission (EC) for alleged vote-buying collusion related to the 2024 Senate election.