Party faces survival test

[webfact]

Party faces survival test

By The Nation 

 

Thai Raksa Chart Party

 

Group, NCPO see scope for Thai Raksa Chart’s dissolution over princess nomination
 

STEPS ARE being taken for the dissolution of the political party that nominated Princess Ubolratana as its PM candidate for the March 24 general election.

 

The Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution, a political pressure group, unveiled its plan yesterday to ask the Election Commission (EC) to take steps that could lead to a Constitutional Court verdict dissolving the Thai Raksa Chart Party.

 

The group’s secretary-general Srisuwan Janya said a petition would be filed with the EC today. 

 

On Friday morning, Thai Raksa Chart gave the EC Princess Ubolratana’s name as its sole PM candidate. However, in the evening, His Majesty the King issued a nationally broadcast statement that said it was against tradition and was

unconstitutional for a member of the Royal Family to be involved in politics. The Princess is His Majesty’s older sister. 

 

In response to the statement, Thai Raksa Chart said it accepted the royal command “with loyalty to His Majesty and all members of the Royal Family”, while the Princess thanked people for their love and support in a message on Instagram. 

 

Meanwhile, members of the ruling junta, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), are viewing this “misstep” as an opportunity to get Thai Raksa Chart dissolved.

 

 

The party is linked to former fugitive prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is a staunch critic of the NCPO and also viewed as its arch-enemy. 

 

“This is the best time to get the party dissolved. This is because they have shot themselves in the foot. It’s a serious mistake. If we can link Thai Raksa Chart and Pheu Thai Party, we will be able to get them both dissolved. If that is the case, the dissolution must be done before the election,” an NCPO supporter said. 

 

The source added that the EC could take any political party to the Constitutional Court if it believes the party had violated any law that is punishable by dissolution.

 

“The EC should clarify this matter next week. If it decides to take this case to the Constitutional Court, then the verdict should come in time for the March 24 election,” the source added. 

 

Meanwhile, Thai Raksa Chart leader Preechaphol Pongpanit was seen visiting a Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya province yesterday despite rumours that he and other key party figures had been detained after announcing the party’s controversial PM candidate. 

 

Srisuwan, a political activist known for filing complaints against politicians, said yesterday that his group would push the EC to forward his case to the Constitutional Court.

 

“We will ask the EC to consider whether Thai Raksa Chart Party’s action violated relevant laws and EC regulations on election campaigning. We ask that the case be referred to the Constitutional Court for a decision on whether Thai Raksa Chart should be dissolved,” Srisuwan said.

 

He said the party’s nomination of the Princess had led to controversy and raised the question of whether this nomination is even constitutional. The activist noted that Thai Raksa Chart had not considered legal provisions that may have prevented it from nominating the Princess, who relinquished her royal titles in 1972 to marry an American.

 

 

However, Srisuwan also noted the King’s statement barring the Princess from getting involved in politics, as she is still a member of the Royal Family. The statement pointed out that it was against the spirit of the Constitution for a member of the Royal Family to get involved in politics. Also, it said, the monarchy is supposed to stay above politics. 

 

Srisuwan pointed out that Thai Raksa Chart had nominated someone who is not qualified to become a PM candidate, which is against the electoral laws and EC regulations. 

 

The EC prohibits political parties from relying on the monarchy for their election campaigns.

 

EC president Ittiporn Boonpracong responded to the controversy yesterday, by saying the matter “should be” on the agenda today.

 

As for Srisuwan’s petition, which will be filed with the EC today, Ittiporn said the agency would decide later whether the petition should be used for further action. Though declining to comment directly, the EC chief said the case would be considered carefully and fairly. 

 

In a related development, Thai Raksa Chart Party issued a statement yesterday, thanking its supporters for offering encouragement for its controversial nomination. Thaksin, who has lived in self-exile since 2008, offered words of encouragement yesterday, which observers say were meant for Thai Raksa Chart. 

 

“Chin up and keep moving forward! We learn from past experiences but live for today and the future. Cheer up! Life must go on!” the former leader said on Twitter. 

 

Separately, Thai Raksa Chart’s core member and legal expert Ruangkrai Leekitwattana said yesterday that he will file a petition with the EC today asking for the disqualification of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as the sole PM candidate of the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party.

 

His argument is that Phalang Pracharat’s process of nominating General Prayut was not in compliance with the party’s regulations. The politician also said the Constitution prohibits state officials from contesting an election, adding that as the NCPO chief, Prayut should be regarded as a government official. 

 

Independent scholar Sirote Klampaiboon yesterday called on the EC not to seek disbandment of Thai Raksa Chart due to pressure from rival political factions. He said such a decision could cause the EC to be viewed as a political tool to get rid of the junta’s opponents.

 

“It is not legitimate to cite Thai Raksa Chart’s prime minister candidate and its campaign behaviour for the proposal to dissolve the party as it has not yet begun the campaign and the candidate’s qualification has not yet been proved invalid,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30363880

 

 -- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-11

[webfact]

Party that nominated Thai princess for PM faces ban after king's rebuke

By Chayut Setboonsarng

 

FILE PHOTO: Thai Raksa Chart party leader Preechapol Pongpanich, holds up application of candidate for Prime Minister, Thailand's Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, at the election commission office in Bangkok, Thailand February 8, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai political party that nominated a princess as its candidate for prime minister could be banned from a general election in March after an activist said on Sunday he would file a petition seeking its dissolution.

 

Thailand's Election Commission is to meet on Monday to consider the candidacy of Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, 67, who stunned the nation on Friday when she said she would be the prime ministerial candidate for a populist party loyal to ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

 

Her announcement drew a swift rebuke from King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the princess's younger brother, who issued a statement hours later saying it was "inappropriate" for members of the royal family to enter politics.

 

The March 24 election is the first since a military coup in 2014 toppled an elected pro-Thaksin government. The current junta leader, Prayuth Chan-ocha, is also contesting the race for prime minister, as the candidate of a pro-military party.

 

The nomination of the king's elder sister, who has starred in soap operas and an action movie and gave up her royal titles after marrying an American, was a shocking move by forces loyal to Thaksin, who face an uphill battle in the election.

 

The Election Commission has until Friday to rule on the princess's candidacy. It is unlikely its members would disregard the wishes of the king, who while a constitutional monarch, is considered semi-divine in Thai society.

 

On Sunday, an activist said he would file a petition to disqualify the Thai Raksa Chart party, which nominated the princess.

 

"The royal announcement made it clear that the party violated electoral law," Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, told Reuters.

 

Srisuwan said his complaint to the Election Commission would ask it to recommend that a Constitutional Court dissolve the party.

 

Thai Raksa Chart's executive chairman Chaturon Chaisaeng declined to comment on the request to disband it. The party said it would accept the king's message and "move forward into the election arena to solve problems for the country".

 

The royal family has a long-standing tradition of staying out of politics, and electoral law forbids parties from using the monarchy in campaigns.

 

Parties loyal to former telecommunications tycoon Thaksin have defeated pro-establishment parties to win every election since 2001, but since 2006 each of their governments have been removed by court rulings or coups.

 

The gambit to nominate a member of the royal family could backfire on Thai Raksa Chart, said Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of the faculty of political science at Ubon Ratchathani University.

 

"Things are now more unpredictable," Titipol told Reuters.

 

If the party is dissolved, it could give more seats to anti-Thaksin affiliated parties like the pro-junta, Phalang Pracharat and progressive Future Forward party, he said.

 

Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, lives in self-imposed exile after being convicted of corruption in absentia.

 

He responded to the events on Twitter late on Saturday telling supporters to "keep moving forward" and "learn from past experiences but live for today and the future".

 

(This story corrects paragraph 12 to show that every pro-Thaksin government since 2006 has been toppled, not since 2001.)

 

(Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Kay Johnson and Robert Birsel)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-11