bradiston

The worst outcome is he gets barred for x number of years. That's what happened to Thanathorn. But it was a different case. They're making owning shares look like a capital offense. At worst he can plead it was an oversight. At best, they'll throw it out altogether.

It seems to me that reforming the senate might be possible. You're never going to vote it out of existence. Ok if you rewrote the constitution maybe. Remove their ability to effectively veto, and give them a purely advisory role. Sure, they might not like it, but who's to say? Do they really want to be embroiled in all this head banging?

It's a hidden message to switch to MFP from BJT. With Lisa on board, how can Pita fail? Bye bye Bumjai!

True. Pita hinted a few days ago that he believes he now has the numbers he needs to get the vote through for the PMship. Whether he's managed to talk some senators around who knows? I can't help believing they are in the main rational fair minded human beings. Pita is a very personable young man. I'm sure if he had the chance to put his case across in person, explaining the whole 112 controversy, it might win over a few hearts and minds. Plus, there's the threat of being outed by a variety of lawsuits for acting in extreme bad faith, not to mention against democratic principles running counter to all ethical norms, in the great number of abstentions. Of course this could amount to nothing more than a load of old twaddle. I'm an incurable optimist I guess.

The other point to make is, the 250 Senators were put there according to the rewritten 2016 constitution. You can read about how Prayuth and co forced it through here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Thai_constitutional_referendum The interesting thing about the Senate is, its make up is surprisingly similar to that of the House of Lords in the UK. In theory it is actually more egalitarian. There is no heredity. Senators can't sit in consecutive Senates. And it is made up of academics, representatives of the Arts, Science, Law etc etc. What has gone horribly wrong though has been its corralling of the senators into a particular political camp. This is absolutely forbidden in its mandate. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_of_Thailand The senators cannot belong to any political party. Etc etc. So I can see huge numbers of lawsuits flying in the direction of... Well, yes, where? The President should have absolutely reminded the members of their obligation to remain non partisan for sure. It's a complete failure of governance.

Absolutely!

No. He was suspended as an MP pending further enquiries into the ITV shares nonsense. But he can still stand for prime minister, as the prime minister doesn't have to be an MP. Yeah, TIT. The invocation of rule 41 is what is being appealed against to the CC, via the ombudsman, as unconstitutional. Your last paragraph you can scrub. Yes, MFP were prepared to let PT nominate their candidate, Srettha Thavisin, but at the time it was assumed Pita was unable to stand again. That's now under appeal, so his nomination would supercede Srettha's.

His renomination was blocked, so it never got that far.

I think they will have to, no choice. They can't proceed in violation of any court order, or while it's sub judice, awaiting judgment.

The argument over amending Section 112 isn't a constitutional issue. Section 112 refers to Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. It's that simple. Of course the Bentstate has framed it as an attempt to overthrow the state. It's a complete disgrace. I'd sue for defamation if I was Pita. It's all part of a campaign of misinformation and demonisation. I hope at the end of all this heads will roll and the perpetrators exposed. Already they're backing off. Brown trousers are on order.

Jay yen, spider. All in good time!

You mean unconstitutional? They have yet to rule. But yes, There's a move by a well respected lawyer to have them all bashed. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-anti-corruption-watchdog-asked-to-probe-235-senators-who-rejected-pitas-pm-bid/ See the note at the end of the article. Vendetta leader Ruangkrai (English transliteration Woongker) has asked the NACC to investigate 6 of the Senators who supported Pita. But not one of those who opposed him. This guy's a real one off wingnut.

Sure. Looked good at the time though. Best of a bad bunch. PT and MFP were squabbling over it. Part of the PM package.

Anutin has already said he won't join a minority government. Makes the case for PT to join the rest of the coalition in opposition even stronger. Without BJT, any minority coalition would only have a measly 110 seats or thereabouts. My feeling is, Chonlanan is playing a smart game here. He doesn't want to risk the hellfire wrath of his electorate in sleeping with the enemy, but is playing for time to see how it all pans out, knowing he's got the move into opposition as the killer app, or, who knows, Pita comes storming back with an outright majority of votes for PM. He's already claimed he's got the numbers. But will he make it that far? There's a lot of snipers have him in their crosshairs in No Man's Land.

That's also why Pita was urged to go to the ombudsman, so as to hopefully avoid a precedent bring set.

You got any experience yourself of their services? Apart from a "long, long, long" one?

No. The CC weren't involved in the renomination at first. It was the speaker who messed up. He should have ruled straight away that a ban under rule 41 didnt apply to the nomination procedure. But he doesn't know his stuff, and got bullied and bulldozed into allowing it to be debated and then voted on. Of course it went down, but it should never have happened in the first place. Interestingly, it was the chief architect of the 2017 constitution, Borwornsak Uwanno and one or two other lawyers, who spoke up and urged Pita to go to the ombudsman with a complaint that the ruling was unconstitutional. And the ombudsman has taken it up and forwarded it to the CC. This is not a stupid game or a waste of time. There is a vendetta against Pita, just as there was against Thanathorn, and he needs to fight it and expose it. This time though it's being dragged into the spotlight for all to see. Day by day. It's all over the media. It's unravelling for the axis.

I've used the ombudsman in Thailand as I have in the UK, although it's changed its name there. In Thailand, they were extremely helpful. They ordered an enquiry into police behaviour in a case I was involved in, and took the local mayor to task for threatening me with violence over a supposedly unpaid water bill. They aren't the paid patsies you make them out to be at all. But you will probably need an interpreter if you don't speak fluent Thai.

Not quite. The delays and postponements work in Pita's favour. The PT and the junta parties can't wait to get into power. They're going to have to wait. PT in a very awkward spot now, caught in the act with all their worst enemies.

Far from it

Including the chair of the committee that wrote the constitution?

Maybe take a look at who wrote the 2017 constitution. But he has had the decency to step forward and urge Pita to contest the banning from the Prime Minister nomination as unconstitutional. And I guess he should know. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borwornsak_Uwanno

No. The CC case is to do with the ITV shares, brought by serial petitioner Ruangkrai Leekitwattana. Pita had 15 days to respond and appear before the beaks in the CC to defend himself. Still has maybe 6 days to go. The ombudsman's case is that the 2nd vote on the prime ministership was wrongly put to the vote by the speaker in the house, and got voted down by the senate and the other members of the vendetta against Pita on thoroughly unconstitutional grounds. Make no mistake. There is a vendetta, and the members are being named. They'll be running for cover no doubt soon.

Defeatist nonsense.

It's a separate issue.