4 days ago
Senate endorses new attorney-general
The Senate on Tuesday endorsed the appointment of Ittiporn Kaewthip as Thailand's 20th attorney-general, to succeed Phairach Pornsomboonsiri who will retire on Sept 30.
Mr Ittiporn, the most senior deputy attorney-general, received 172 votes during the closed-door meeting. Fourteen senators abstained and one opted not to participate.
All 11 members of the Public Prosecutors Commission unanimously approved Mr Ittiporn's nomination on May 7 and forwarded it to the upper house for further review and confirmation.
With the Senate process now complete, Mr Ittiporn is set to officially assume office on Oct 1.
Mr Ittiporn holds a bachelor's degree in law from Thammasat University and later passed the bar exam before earning a master's degree in law from Chulalongkorn University.
He began his career as an assistant public prosecutor in 1987. He rose steadily through the ranks, holding a series of senior positions within the public prosecution service.
He previously undertook the highest-ranking prosecutorial roles in several provinces, including Nonthaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Phetchaburi and Nakhon Sawan.
Mr Ittiporn became more widely known to the public during his tenure as spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) from 2020-22. During that time, he was also chairman of a working group responsible for drafting guidelines for the enforcement of Section 112 of the Criminal Code, commonly referred to as the lese-majeste law. (Story continues below)
Legitimacy in question
Before Tuesday's vote, Senator Nantana Nantavaropas once again voiced her opposition to the proceedings, saying that the Senate should not move forward with key appointments while dozens of members are still facing questions about their eligibility.
Senator Nantana raised a similar, but unsuccessful, objection last week during consideration of a Supreme Administrative Court judge nomination.
Over 150 senators have reportedly been summoned by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Election Commission (EC) in connection with allegations of vote-rigging in the Senate polls in June 2024.
The investigations focus on 'blue bloc' senators, a reference to a large group linked to the Bhumjaithai Party.
The final Senate vote on June 26 last year produced highly unusual results, notably a disproportionate number of winners from provinces where Bhumjaithai is strong electorally.
