PM Keeps Hands Off Vote Scandal

BANGKOK: -- The prime minister leaves the matter regarding MPs voting for each other during the charter amendment debate, for the House to investigate, while insisting that the Pheu Thai Party will punish MPs who are found guilty.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the issue about MPs using their colleagues' electronic ID cards to vote for absent colleagues during the charter amendment debate must be probed.

She noted the penalty on this will be decided by the probe committee and added that the Pheu Thai Party will punish its MPs who are found guilty.

Parties concerned are looking to file a suit on the issue with the Constitution Court.

Chairman of the parliamentary committee to vet the charter amendment Samart Kaewmeechai insisted that the matter will not affect the process of the constitution amendment, as the vote for each section of Article 291 received more than 300 votes.

Article 291 allows the establishment of a constitution drafting assembly which paves the way for a charter amendment.

Samart did note that voting in place of absent legislators is unethical, and that MPs who are found guilty should be warned and should be barred from contesting future elections.

Regarding the constitution amendment, Samart said that the next meeting to vet the issue will be held on Monday.

The date for the voting after the third reading has been postponed indefinitely.

He said today's parliamentary session will consider other pending issues.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont has assigned Parliament's secretary-general to set up a panel to investigate MPs accused of using their colleagues' electronic ID cards to vote for absent colleagues.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the accused MPs must clarify the issue and the speaker has to adopt measures to make sure there will be no more use of MPs' ID cards to vote for those who are not in the meeting.

-- Tan Network 2012-04-25

Let sleeping MPs lie, we'll help them register their votes, to avoid disturbing them ?

Good one

From where Chuwit is seated, his button camera can only take photo of the opposition MP.

Please don't post information you should know to be false.

Nothing, and I mean nothing would surprise me in Thai parliament anymore. We've had drunkeness (allegedly!), porn, slander, continued absence. Hey these all sound like reasons I'd lose my job, but in parliament, mai pen rai!