National —
At 9:30 AM on July 23rd, 2024, the newly appointed 200-member Senate convened for their first meeting at Parliament to elect the Senate President and two Vice Presidents.
Temporary chairman Pol. Lt. Gen. Yutthana Thaipakdee, the most senior member, outlined the agenda before inviting all senators to take their oaths of office and explaining the nomination and election process.
Gen. Kriangkrai Srirak nominated Senator Mongkol Surasajja, a former Buri Ram governor, for Senate President. Subsequently, Dr. Premsak Piayura and Ms. Nanthana Nanthawaropas were also nominated.
After brief introductions from each candidate, a secret ballot vote was held. Senator Mongkol Surasajja emerged victorious with 159 votes, while Dr. Premsak received 13 votes and Ms. Nanthana got 19 votes. Four senators abstained, and there were five invalid ballots.
Senator Mongkol, the frontrunner from the “Blue” group and reportedly allied with the coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party, which is also represented by the color blue, had previously been nominated for Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry in 2008 but withdrew to avoid internal conflict.
Known for his close ties with Newin Chidchob of the Bhumjaithai Party, Mongkol is said to have connections with a powerful “Ban Yai” (big house) political family in Buriram, the political stronghold of the Bhumjaithai Party.
On July 11th, 2024, upon taking his oath, Mongkol declined media interviews about his candidacy for Senate President, citing his newness to the role and lack of experience in legislative work.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
