“The Election Commission’s last minute application to the Constitutional Court is seen as a high-level impediment to the success of Pita Limjareonrat’s hopes of becoming Thailand’s next PM.”
Thailand’s Constitution Court has refused consider the Election Commission’s request for a ruling on the Move Forward party leader’s media shareholding case today.
At its meeting this morning, the Election Commission decided to forward the case onto the Constitutional Court, based on “sufficient evidence” proving that Pita Limjareonrat owned 42,000 shares in iTV when he registered as an election candidate.
The Election Commission also petitioned the court to force Pita to stop performing as an MP pending a decision by the Constitutional Court.
According to Thai PBS World, the case needs to be reviewed, “before sending it to another committee to determine whether to accept it for consideration”.
The Constitutional Court, that overseas all cases regarding election and political matters in Thailand, holds it weekly meeting every Wednesday.
It is expected that Pita’s case will be placed on next week’s agenda.
Given that Pita is being put forward as Thailand’s next prime minister in a joint sitting of the new Thai parliament tomorrow, there are now questions as to how the parliamentary debates and vote can go ahead. Or even if he is able to participate.
The Election Commission’s last minute application to the Constitutional Court is seen as a high-level impediment to the success of Pita Limjareonrat’s hopes of becoming Thailand’s next PM.
ORIGINAL STORY
According to a Thai PBS World report, the EC made its decision this morning and submitted the case for the Constitutional Court’s consideration.
The Constitutional Court will be meeting at 1pm today to consider if Pita will be suspended in the meantime as they consider his case.
In doing so, the EC also requested that the Move Forward leader, whose party won the most votes in the May 14 general election, be prevented from working as an MP until the court decides if it will accept the case. The court is expected to make a decision in the next 3 days.
According to Thai PBS World, the EC decided at a meeting this morning that it agreed with a recommendation from its fact-finding committee that there is enough evidence to prove that the PM candidate held 42,000 shares in the iTV media company when he registered as a political candidate.
A vote on Pita for PM is scheduled to take place tomorrow, July 13, during a joint sitting of the House and Senate.
In response to the EC’s move, the Move Forward Party accuses it of flouting its own rules in reaching its decision, saying this constitutes malfeasance in office and violates Section 157 of Thailand Criminal Code.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
