Senate powers face new threat

Speaker told to cancel key meeting

- AEKARACH SATTABURUTH

A group of senators will ask the Senate Speaker to suspend the selection of members of independent organisations on May 29-30.

They argued the selection process could be marred if it is to be allowed to go ahead as several members of the Upper House have been accused of being involved in vote rigging in last year's Senate election. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Election Commission (EC) are jointly conducting the inquiry. The DSI has been handling allegations of money laundering and illegal collusion over the poll that was held in June last year, while the EC is focusing its probe on Senate election law violations.

Aside from the first batch of 55 senators summoned earlier over the alleged vote rigging, the candidates who lost their races and who are on the reserve list may also have engaged in collusion. They will likely be required to speak to the EC as well, said a source. So far, over 140 people have been summoned by the EC.