The Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed two petitions today, which claimed that the election laws calling for senatorial candidates to vote among themselves are unconstitutional.
The ruling means that the Election Commission (EC) can proceed with the national-level voting for senators on June 26.
The Constitutional Court’s statement on the case contained only three lines.
Earlier, the EC had been called upon to postpone the provincial-level senatorial voting on June 16, pending the Constitutional Court’s decision on the petitions.
Nonetheless, the EC resolved to go ahead with the vote, stating it had a “Plan B” if the charter court ruled that the provisions were unconstitutional.
After the provincial-level voting on June 16, the EC revealed that 2,164 men and 836 women will advance to the national-level vote on June 26, at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani.
The 200 candidates, representing 20 background groups, who win the national-level vote will become senators. This process, held for the first time in Thailand, has been dubbed the most complicated in the world.
Over 46,000 candidates will have voted at the district, provincial and national levels to select 200 senators.
The new senators will replace members of the junta-appointed Senate, who are currently in caretaker roles, after their five-year term expired on May 10.
