Govt to push ahead with Thai poll

[webfact]

Govt to push ahead with poll
THE NATION

PHEU THAI HANDS OVER THE REINS TO NIWATTUMRONG AS CHARTER COURT DISMISSES YINGLUCK

BANGKOK: -- Interim Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan said yesterday that he will ensure the upcoming general election can proceed uninterrupted after Yingluck Shinawatra was dismissed yesterday as PM by the Constitutional Court for abuse of power.

"I will also take care of the people and the economy," he added.

The court ruled unanimously that Yingluck and nine 2011 Cabinet members had abused their power to remove Thawil Pliensri as secretary-general of the National Security Council in the interest of her family.

Niwattumrong was qualified to take the job as he ranked second in seniority to Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who was also discharged, said Prompong Nopparit, spokesman for the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

"Niwattumrong is capable and experienced, as he has served the administration for a long time. He will be able to coordinate all parties for the benefit of the people," he said.

Yingluck had been in office for two years, nine months and two days since her Pheu Thai Party won the 2011 election. Her victory displeased the elite and urban middle class, which decided she was merely a clone of Thaksin, her elder brother, who was deposed by a military coup in 2006.

Her attempt through an amnesty bill to engineer a pardon for Thaksin, who was sentenced to prison, sparked a series of mass protests in Bangkok led by the opposition ally People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

In a statement after the charter court's judgement, Yingluck said she was proud of performing the duty of prime minister for the past years. Her regret was not having a chance to serve the country and the people any more.

"We have served the country honestly and fairly. We've never acted in corrupt ways as we were accused, or shown favouritism towards anyone. We have not acted against constitutional laws as accused," she said.

The court's verdict was considered by the ruling party as part of a conspiracy to topple Thaksin's associates from power.

Senator Paiboon Nititawan, who filed the petition against Yingluck, praised the verdict and demanded that the remaining ministers in the Cabinet step down, claiming they no longer had any legitimacy. The appointed senator wanted the entire Yingluck cabinet to step aside so that the Senate could appoint a non-elected prime minister to "reform" the country.

PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said that since the prime minister was ousted, Thailand now has no government. It was a good chance for his group to set up a "people's government". Yingluck's cabinet has no legitimacy to pick anybody to lead the caretaker government, he claimed.

Pheu Thai legal expert Bhokin Bhalakula called on the Thai people to rise up and oppose the Constitutional Court's ruling and on the Election Commission to push for an election as soon as possible. The EC previously agreed to hold the poll on July 20.

Bhokin told a press conference that the charter court's decision was made hastily and unconstitutionally, as the former Cabinet members must stay as caretakers until a new government succeeds them in line with the charter.

"You [Thai people] may see the joint attempt of the Democrat Party, PDRC and some independent organisations to prevent the election on July 20 and to have a non-elected prime minister," he said.

"The Pheu Thai Party calls on those who love democracy and justice to oppose the conspiracy by exercising their constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, to assemble, petition, file complaints and take legal action as well as oppose [the ruling] by all means," he said.

Red-shirt leader Worachai Hema confirmed that the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship would still stage a mass rally on Aksa Road on Saturday and had scheduled a follow-up mass rally for next Wednesday, when PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban has said his group would step up anti-government measures.


-- The Nation 2014-05-08

[Thailand]

Surely an election is the obvious way to,proceed at this point, the sooner the better.

Thailand needs to return to some sort of normality at the earliest, whoever wins the election.

[rametindallas]

The new PTP caretaker PM is Thaksin's boy all the way. see article below

http://www.voanews.com/content/thailands-new-pm-seen-capable-of-compromises-not-miracles/1909538.html

The country wasted 2.8 billion Baht on the annulled Feb. 2nd election due to Democrat Party boycott and poll disruptions by the PDRC. In a NIDA poll, most Thais don't believe there will be smooth elections July 20 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/723718-nida-poll-says-july-20-thai-election-not-smooth/ . The Democrats have, once again, stated they will boycott the July 20 elections so, there is no way to seat 95% of MPs to form a new government. Another wasted 2.8 billion Baht.

As long as the Democrat Party and the PDRC have the country 'over a barrel', it looks like 'reform before elections' is still the only way to move forward and the longer the PTP (Thaksin) stalls, the longer it will take for them to get the election they want.

[Maroon Watcher]

..But didn't the Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC). also abuse there "power" by organising a COUP -
against the Democratically elected "Peoples [elected] Party"

... all the PDRC should be banned from taking office, or any further organisation of a future government...

Let the people decide, by a fair democratic vote, and if requested, monitored by neutral observers (including bribery promises)

[rubl]

""I will also take care of the people and the economy," he added"

Does that mean we'll finally get some information on the rice price pledging scheme from this former caretaker Minister of Commerce?

[h90]

Surely an election is the obvious way to,proceed at this point, the sooner the better.

Thailand needs to return to some sort of normality at the earliest, whoever wins the election.

Normality: vote buying, corruption, etc

[Scamper]

Pheu Thai are trying to sweep something under the carpet. Although there is a provision in the constitution that allows the Senate to nominate a prime minister in lieu of a parliamentary quorum ( so this Senator is right on that point ), there is no constitutional provision for what Pheu Thai is attempting to do. They are attempting to have a prime minister nominated through a cabinet. And a caretaker cabinet, at that. Not only that, but a caretaker cabinet without a parliament ! Not only that, but a caretaker cabinet without a parliament whose own prime minister has just been removed for committing an unconstitutional offense. Not only that, but a caretaker cabinet without a parliament that has just had its own cabinet decimated by having nine of them removed for having committed an unconstitutional act. Pheu Thai is hoping no one will notice. Unlikely !

[WoopyDoo]

"The Pheu Thai Party calls on those who love democracy and justice to oppose the conspiracy by exercising their constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, to assemble, petition, file complaints and take legal action as well as oppose [the ruling] by all means," he said.

These boneheads are publicly advocating and orchestrating an all out civil war.

The military needs to step in and remove them all right now before they whip this up into one...

The time for martial law is now, and a lot of people need to be locked up so they can no longer incite what they have wanted all along.... civil war with a brokered separation of the state to get Thaksin back and become the leader of PR Lanna.

It is as plain as the nose on your face.

[blundaman]

Surely an election is the obvious way to,proceed at this point, the sooner the better.

Thailand needs to return to some sort of normality at the earliest, whoever wins the election.

hangabout... i thought this IS the new 'normal'

[BlueNoseCodger]

"The Pheu Thai Party calls on those who love democracy and justice to oppose the conspiracy by exercising their constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, to assemble, petition, file complaints and take legal action as well as oppose [the ruling] by all means," he said.

These boneheads are publicly advocating and orchestrating an all out civil war.

The military needs to step in and remove them all right now before they whip this up into one...

The time for martial law is now, and a lot of people need to be locked up so they can no longer incite what they have wanted all along.... civil war with a brokered separation of the state to get Thaksin back and become the leader of PR Lanna.

It is as plain as the nose on your face.

No they're advocating protests and petitions to get elections, your lot is the side working hard to achieve a civil war, in the hope the army will come in.

Your side is the popcorn gunmen and the guards who shoot at the military and civilians in Bangkok.

[BlueNoseCodger]

Pheu Thai are trying to sweep something under the carpet. Although there is a provision in the constitution that allows the Senate to nominate a prime minister in lieu of a parliamentary quorum ( so this Senator is right on that point ), there is no constitutional provision for what Pheu Thai is attempting to do. They are attempting to have a prime minister nominated through a cabinet. And a caretaker cabinet, at that. Not only that, but a caretaker cabinet without a parliament ! Not only that, but a caretaker cabinet without a parliament whose own prime minister has just been removed for committing an unconstitutional offense. Not only that, but a caretaker cabinet without a parliament that has just had its own cabinet decimated by having nine of them removed for having committed an unconstitutional act. Pheu Thai is hoping no one will notice. Unlikely !

Section 171. The King appoints the Prime Minister and not more than thirty-five other Ministers to constitute the Council of Ministers having the duty to carry out the administration of State affairs with collective accountability.

The Prime Minister must be a member of the House of Representatives appointed under section 172.

The President of the House of Representatives shall countersign the Royal Command appointing the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister shall not hold office for more than eight consecutive years.

Section 172. The House of Representatives shall complete its consideration and approval of the person suitable to be appointed as Prime Minister within thirty days as from the day the National Assembly is convoked for the first sitting under section 127.

The nomination of a person who is suitable to be appointed as Prime Minister under paragraph one shall be endorsed by members of the House of Representatives of not less than one-fifth of the total number of the existing members of the House.

The resolution of the House of Representatives approving the appointment of a person as Prime Minister shall be passed by the votes of more than one-half of the total number of the existing members of the House of Representatives. The passing of the resolution in such case shall be by open votes.

....(6) not being a senator or having been a senator whose membership has terminated for not more than two years up to the date of the appointment as Minister.

To be the Prime Minister you must be elected in the House of Representatives. So they cannot appoint any funny neutral Prime Minister and pretend its legal.

The Senate cannot pretend to be the House of Representatives and appoint one of its own either. You cannot be a Senator and be a PM.

Section 181. The outgoing Council of Ministers shall remain in office for carrying out duty until the newly appointed Council of Ministers takes office,

The Council of Ministers stays until the next Council of Ministers takes over. So until the elections are over, the new Cabinet chosen by the House of Representatives and approved, they stay in power.

Edited May 8, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger