Thai Senate To Decide Democrat Suthep's Fate Tomorrow

[Lite Beer]

Thai Senate to decide Democrat Suthep’s fate tomorrow

BANGKOK, Sept 17 - The parliamentary membership status of Democrat deputy leader Suthep Thuangsubhan hangs in the balance pending tomorrow’s decision by the Senate on whether his member of parliament status will be revoked for breaching his duty while serving as deputy prime minister in the previous Abhisit Vejjajiva government.

Senate deputy speaker Surachai Liangboonlert said tomorrow’s roll-call and secret ballot will need at least 60 per cent of the 146-member Upper House, or least 89 senators, to strip Mr Suthep of his seat and prohibit him from politics for five years. The session will start at 11am.

The former deputy premier is charged with interfering in the culture ministry’s authority by sending a letter asking that a group of MPs and related personnel work with the ministry. His action is allegedly in violation of Article 273 of the Constitution.

The Senate today heard the Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC)—the plaintiff, and Mr Suthep—the defendant, give 30-minute verbal statements to finalise the case before the Senate’s decision tomorrow.

Mr Suthep had once said that there had been an earlier decision on the case, and that the ACC was not authorised to subject him to ‘double jeopardy,’ that is, to “punish the same person twice” as he has already left the deputy premiership.

ACC member Klanarong Chantik told the Senate today that the committee was entitled by law to consider the case.

Referring to Mr Suthep’s earlier statement that his letter to the culture ministry was merely a consultation, not an order, Mr Klanarong said Mr Suthep’s action represented interference in the ministry’s affairs despite the fact that he later asked for the letter to be returned and that not even one MP or outsider had done the work at the culture ministry.

Mr Klanarong, a noted Thai graft buster, said the ACC had the right not to consider the opinion of Bavornsak Uwanno, former cabinet secretary general, who said Mr Suthep’s action should not violate the constitution since it was only an “academic point of view.”

Mr Bavornsak only said it “should not violate” the constitution, but he did not confirm that Mr Suthep’s action was not a violation, he said.

The so-called corruption monitor insisted that the ACC made its decision neutrally and independently based on the constitution despite the fact that it was sometimes isolated.

“Unlike a judicial body, the ACC does not enjoy legal immunity. It doesn’t received credit, and sometimes receives negative responses, even when it does good,” Mr Klanarong lamented.

In his 30-minute statement, Mr Suthep said the culture minister had not read his letter or taken any action at that time, and the letter was returned to him after an admonition.

Mr Suthep said he merely informed the minister that the Democrat MP showed his intention to help with the work of the culture ministry, adding that it was not an order from him and the culture minister could independently do as he saw fit.

Mr Suthep said he strongly believed that his action caused no damage to the country and that the ACC did not specify what damage had been done. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-09-17

[asiawatcher]