Two-Ballot Election System Formally Approved

File photo from the 2019 general elections.

BANGKOK — A constitutional amendment on elections system to reduce the number of party list MPs and increase that of constituency-based MPs with two ballot papers was announced in the Royal Gazette on Sunday night.

Under the new system, the number of party list MPs will be reduced to 100 from 150 while constituency-based MPs increased to 400 from 350. The announcement stated that the changes better reflects needs of people in each constitution.

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Ruling Phalang Pracharath Party secretary general Thamanat Prompao said on Monday that the party will fill in candidates in all 400 constituencies in the next elections and is confident to win more seats.

Election commissioner and elections expert Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the amendment plays into the hands of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party which has strong constituency-based MPs.

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“If I am [from] Pheu Thai I would say thank you,” he said. “All the 12 micro parties with a single party list MP each will go into extinction.”