Deputy Senate Speaker Surachai Liangboonlertchai was elected as the new Senate speaker in the Upper House session yesterday.
Surachai: Beats out Jongrak to post
He was elected by a vote of 96 to 51 with one abstention in a secret ballot, beating fellow appointed senator Jongrak Jutanont, the former deputy police chief.
Sen Surachai, who is a member of the Group of 40 Senators known to have a critical view of the government, was nominated by Sen Penpak Srithong. Pol Gen Jongrak was nominated by Sen Boonthong Songpracha.
A new Senate speaker was required as Nikhom Wairatpanich faces impeachment by the Senate for his role in the passage of the charter amendment draft to make the Senate fully elected. He also lost his seat in the March 30 Senate election.
Phirasak Porchit, senator for Uttaradit, was elected first deputy Senate president.
Earlier in the session, Wicharn Sirichai-ekkawat, opposed the speaker's election, saying the agenda of the extraordinary session allowed the Senate only to consider endorsing former finance deputy permanent secretary Supa Piyajitti as a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and Administrative Court expert.
But Sen Tuang Anthachai said a Senate speaker was needed to perform important tasks such as impeachment cases.
Earlier in yesterday's session, the Senate endorsed Ms Supa's appointment to the NACC. Senators voted 122 to 19 in favour of approving her membership.
Ms Supa was the whistle blower responsible for revealing huge losses and alleged graft in the caretaker government's rice-pledging scheme when she was head of a Finance Ministry sub-committee.