Pro-junta bloc hit by shares storm

[webfact]

Pro-junta bloc hit by shares storm 

By THE NATION

 

 

Clouds gather as 41 MPs accused of violating rules on investment in media

 

MORE THAN 40 MPs of the pro-junta coalition are being targeted in cases related to media shareholding after their names were submitted to the Constitutional Court yesterday. Meanwhile, the coalition has made little progress in establishing a government even though its only candidate, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, has been named prime minister. 

 

Should these MPs be suspended or disqualified, the pro-junta bloc’s narrow House majority could be undermined and it will find itself unable to pass any legislation in the House of Representatives, including the national budget bill. 

 

House speaker Chuan Leekpai submitted a petition with the Constitutional Court yesterday, asking it to investigate if 41 members of the chamber could have qualification issues.

 

Of the 41 MPs under investigation, 27 are from Phalang Pracharat, 10 from the Democrat Party and one each from Action Coalition for Thailand, Bhumjaithai, Chartpattana and Prachaphiwat.

 

The submission follows complaints lodged by Future Forward Party MPs, after their leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, was hit by the same allegations and ordered by the Constitutional Court to take a break from his work as MP until it reaches a conclusion. 

 

The Constitution prohibits MP candidates from holding shares in media companies, and if found guilty, they can be disqualified, face a jail term as well as a fine. 

 

It is now up to the Constitutional Court to decide if it will take up the 41 MPs’ cases, and if it does so, whether it will be consistent in suspending them from Parliament as it did with Thanathorn. 

 

Phalang Pracharat registrar and MP Vichien Chavalit, whose 27 colleagues were among those named in the petition, told the press that the party had already prepared testimony in relation to the cases.

 

Vichien said it was up to the court to decide if the MPs should be suspended, adding that the party had checked every candidate’s qualification before the election. 

 

The opposition, led by anti-junta Pheu Thai and Future Forward parties, has been looking for ways to eliminate more MPs from the rival bloc.

 

Pheu Thai’s legal expert Chusak Sirinil is urging Future Forward Party to lodge a complaint with the House speaker to scrutinise whether MPs from smaller parties were qualified, considering their controversially small share of votes. The junta-appointed Election Commission’s decision to give seats to 11 smaller parties raised eyebrows, with some experts and politicians pointing out that these small parties had failed to gain the minimum votes required to cross the threshold of the House of Representatives. 

 

The original calculation based on the Constitution suggests that each party is required to win 71,000 votes to get one MP seat. 

 

However, the EC came up with a new calculation that landed these micro parties in the House of Representatives despite them having only between 30,000 and 60,000 votes. The parties returned the favour by voting Prayut in as prime minister and joined the pro-junta bloc.

 

In a related development, the pro-junta bloc was tipped to reach an agreement over contentious portfolios soon, but it was still unclear when Prayut will formally establish a Cabinet.

 

Despite previous tension, insiders have said that coalition partners will be given the ministries they want. The Democrat Party is likely to get the Agriculture, Commerce and Social Development ministries, while Bhumjaithai expects to land the Transport, Public Health and Tourism ministries. 

 

The parties are currently considering which of their members should be given the ministerial positions. 

 

Prayut said yesterday that he could now start discussing the issue after being endorsed as PM on Tuesday, adding that he will try to fill the positions as soon as possible. However, he wouldn’t say if his close colleague, General Prawit Wongsuwan, will continue as defence minister or if he will personally hold the portfolio along with being a PM.

 

Prayut also denied that there was a conflict within the Phalang Pracharat Party over the allocation of the political positions, saying this was merely media speculation.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30371010

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-06-13

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Reigntax]

Too many little pigs. Not enough troughs.

 

Prayuths own little Animal House 

[Thaiwrath]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

However, the EC came up with a new calculation that landed these micro parties in the House of Representatives despite them having only between 30,000 and 60,000 votes. The parties returned the favour by voting Prayut in as prime minister and joined the pro-junta bloc.

11 seats given to the "not enough votes" group is massive in such a tight Government, and scandalous.

I was going to write a song about it, in Thai, and sing it on Youtube, but I've decided against it ! 

[Chang_paarp]

45 minutes ago, webfact said:

Phalang Pracharat registrar and MP Vichien Chavalit, whose 27 colleagues were among those named in the petition, told the press that the party had already prepared testimony in relation to the cases.

 

Vichien said it was up to the court to decide if the MPs should be suspended, adding that the party had checked every candidate’s qualification before the election. 

 

In fairness to the PPP, they probably did their due diligence based on what the then potential candidates told them. Unfortunately there was a reality gap between the information supplied and the truth. As a party they can show what they did based on the information supplied so they do not get disbanded as a party.

[neeray]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The submission follows complaints lodged by Future Forward Party MPs, after their leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, was hit by the same allegations and ordered by the Constitutional Court to take a break from his work as MP until it reaches a conclusion. 

What's good for the goose is good for the gander !

 

I think today is going to be a good day.

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

.....the coalition has made little progress in establishing a government even though its only candidate, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, has been named prime minister

So after the farce of an election nothing has changed. Thailand still has a one man autocratic government just like it has had for the past 5 years. 

[Creasy]

Get the Junta broom and sweep it under a rug and nobody will notice.

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

It is now up to the Constitutional Court to decide if it will take up the 41 MPs’ cases, and if it does so, whether it will be consistent in suspending them from Parliament as it did with Thanathorn. 

we all know how this will play out; law is equal in thailand and applies to all, except it isn't

[bangkokfrog]

This power struggle would be very entertaining if it wasn't for the fact that the whole country has the potential to suffer.

[PatOngo]

Grubs!

[Lungstib]

It looks as if PT and FFP have access to good lawyers and enough information to dig deep into business registration. Ruling guilty for some and innocent for others is going to stretch the courts credibility but I doubt that will stop them from the attempt. Caught in a net of their own stupid laws this could go on for months.

[smutcakes]

Unless they can find a viable reason to differentiate between the FFP and these, i expect they will just withdraw the charge against Thanathorn so they can drop these ones as well.

 

They have plenty of other investigations they can throw at him.

[Chazar]

Prayut  preparing the worlds  biggest carpet  as we  speak.

[Chazar]

7 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

It looks as if PT and FFP have access to good lawyers and enough information to dig deep into business registration. Ruling guilty for some and innocent for others is going to stretch the courts credibility but I doubt that will stop them from the attempt. Caught in a net of their own stupid laws this could go on for months.

At which point "headboy"  will declare it's  back to the before election times which really is  no different to after.

[Chazar]

2 hours ago, Reigntax said:

Too many little pigs. Not enough troughs.

 

Prayuths own little Animal House 

"farm"

[AGareth2]

there will be another coup

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, the coalition has made little progress in establishing a government even though its only candidate, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, has been named prime minister. 

"cha cha" and "progress" are two words that just do not belong in the same sentence.  Sad days for Thailand. 

[Eligius]

Great to see Thanathorn and his party hitting back in this very clever and three-finger-salute way.

Of course it will get nowhere  (the junta powers and minions will not allow the militarist 'government' to be decimated), but it at least sends a signal that Thais are not willing any longer to lie back and be walked all over.

Well done Thanathorn and the Future Forward Party for showing some tactical skill and political backbone.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by Eligius

[Eligius]

32 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

It looks as if PT and FFP have access to good lawyers and enough information to dig deep into business registration. Ruling guilty for some and innocent for others is going to stretch the courts credibility but I doubt that will stop them from the attempt. Caught in a net of their own stupid laws this could go on for months.

Thais from Officialdom don't care how stupid they look, how blatantly they lie: as long as they offer up some moronic excuse, some 'face-saver' - that is all that matters.

So of course the 'law' will not be applied evenly. Some ridiculous 'explanation' will be foisted upon the public, which they will be expected to accept and shut the hell up.

 

That is the very heart of Thailand - and will continue to be so.

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by Eligius

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

It is now up to the Constitutional Court to decide if it will take up the 41 MPs’ cases, and if it does so, whether it will be consistent in suspending them from Parliament as it did with Thanathorn. 

So lets wait and see if the playing field is level or has a slight tilt?

[otherstuff1957]

I've been waiting to see if this would happen and was thinking that it was just going to fade away.  There were a couple of stories a few weeks go, an then nothing.  However, it seems that FF was just doing their research so that they could present all of the complaints at once, rather than submitting a few every day.  It makes a much bigger impact this way! ????

[THAIJAMES]

1 hour ago, Lungstib said:

It looks as if PT and FFP have access to good lawyers and enough information to dig deep into business registration. Ruling guilty for some and innocent for others is going to stretch the courts credibility but I doubt that will stop them from the attempt. Caught in a net of their own stupid laws this could go on for months.

Public information everyone has access to this information

[metisdead]

A post containing comments in violation of the following forum rules has been removed:

 

2) You will not use ThaiVisa.com to post any material which is knowingly or can be reasonably construed as false, inaccurate, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law.

 

You also agree not to post negative comments criticizing the legal proceedings or judgments of any Thai court of law.

 

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[worgeordie]

Thai government in turmoil (well no government at all) at moment,

but the THB stays strong, nothing effects Teflon Thailand.

regards worgeordie

[BobBKK]

What is good for the FFP Goose is good for the Junta Gander.

[thaiguzzi]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

However, the EC came up with a new calculation that landed these micro parties in the House of Representatives despite them having only between 30,000 and 60,000 votes. The parties returned the favour by voting Prayut in as prime minister and joined the pro-junta bloc.

Vomit explosion ! ! !

Warning.

Vomit explosion ! ! !

Sickening.

 

Where is there a bucket, a huge bucket, when you need one.

This EC, the current Election Commission (hilarious - what a name) are the biggest traitors i have witnessed this century in this country, right up there with Suthep at the top step.

[Eric Loh]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

House speaker Chuan Leekpai submitted a petition with the Constitutional Court yesterday, asking it to investigate if 41 members of the chamber could have qualification issues.

Prerogative of the House speaker to recognize the compliant from the members. I applaud Chuan's decision to accept the complaint and forwarding it to the CC. If the speaker is from PPRP, the complaint for sure will not be taken up. 

[neeray]

3 hours ago, Lungstib said:

It looks as if PT and FFP have access to good lawyers and enough information to dig deep into business registration. Ruling guilty for some and innocent for others is going to stretch the courts credibility but I doubt that will stop them from the attempt. Caught in a net of their own stupid laws this could go on for months.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave. When first we practise to deceive!

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Here's another nice mess they've gotten themselves into. This one will run and run.

[robertson468]

6 hours ago, Reigntax said:

Too many little pigs. Not enough troughs.

 

Prayuths own little Animal House 

You should read "Animal Farm", a very interesting book and how life there developes!