Yingluck - Twin-blow but no KO

[webfact]

POLITICS
Twin-blow but no KO
Petchanet Pratruangkrai,
Kittipong Thavevong
The Nation



NACC unanimously indicts Yingluck in rice case; PDRC vows to announce new government today

BANGKOK: -- Politics is still in a deadlock even though former caretaker prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was dealt a double punch with the Constitutional Court sacking her on Wednesday and the National Anti-Corruption Commission indicting her yesterday - both unanimously.

The legal blows against the government head over the past two days, however, have not created the political vacuum that the anti-government side hoped for. They had eagerly anticipated the entire Cabinet to be thrown out along with its leader by the Constitutional Court.

However, the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), which has been running street protests for six months, appears to believe the removal of Yingluck gives them the long-awaited opportunity to set up a reform administration. "Tomorrow [today] we will take steps towards appointing a new government," PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said.

"After the Constitutional Court's decision, we decided to move up our schedule. The government has lost legitimacy and any claim it has to govern the country," he was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.

It was not clear what legal basis the PDRC's vow was based on, but Akanat said the Constitution has an article that may allow the appointment of a new executive body by the Senate.

Anti-government protest leaders have vowed a "final fight" today, without giving details of their plans.

Their pledge came a day after the charter court removed Yingluck from office for abusing her power in transferring National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri to an inactive post in 2011. The court found that Yingluck and nine other Cabinet members had helped a relative of Yingluck by removing the NSC chief.

The Senate convenes today to elect its speaker. The protesters want a new speaker in place so he can act as Parliament president in nominating a new prime minister.

The NACC voted 7-0 to indict Yingluck for dereliction of duty and negligence in connection with the government's loss-making and graft-plagued rice-pledging scheme, chairman Panthep Klanarongran said.

The judgment was made as scheduled, after the NACC amassed enough evidence to clearly indict Yingluck for allegedly exercising her power in breach of Article 178 of the Constitution concerning the rice price-support scheme, and allegedly intending to employ her power against the government administration regulations under Article 11(1), the NACC said.

"The commission considers there is enough evidence to indict [Yingluck] and refers [the case] to the Senate," Panthep told a press conference.

The Senate will consider Yingluck's impeachment. If found guilty, she will be banned from politics for five years.

The anti-graft agency will next investigate to decide whether to pursue criminal action against Yingluck for alleged dereliction of duty under Section 157 of the Criminal Code and negligence under the Commission Act.

NACC member Vicha Mahakun said the commission's decision was not influenced by the Constitutional Court's ruling. The guilty judgement was based on witness testimony and documentary evidence, which clearly showed that Yingluck's alleged negligence while performing her duties had caused the country to suffer huge losses of more than Bt300 billion during the past two years.

The damage was calculated from the market value of rice and the quantity of rice in government stocks after the audit committee finalised the loss figure for the three rounds of the pledging scheme, he said.

Although Yingluck had a chance to correct the mistakes and the rice policy after there were many warnings from other agencies, she refused to halt the project and instead let the losses grow as well as let corruption continue to run rampant, he said.

Meanwhile, the attempt to hold the next election is in a limbo, as the Election Commission told the government that it would be available to discuss the issuing of a Royal Decree next Wednesday.

Charupong Ruangsuwan, leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, was pessimistic about the new poll. "I believe there will definitely be no election. They are you-know-who," he said. "I can't tell you exactly what will happen if there's no election."

The red-shirt supporters of Pheu Thai plan to ask Yingluck to join a mass rally tomorrow on Aksa Road, said Jatuporn Promphan, chairman of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship.

Yingluck's removal is expected to contract the economy this year due to the resulting violence that is likely to break out.

Moody's Investors Service said the court's ruling was negative for the country's sovereign credit rating. The possibility of the absence of a permanent government until the end of the year will slow down new investment in the Kingdom, according to Stanley Kang, chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand.

However, the Bank of Thailand believes the economy will not contract and there will not be an economic crisis due to its strong fundamentals.


-- The Nation 2014-05-09

[ChoakMyDee]

I'm gonna miss her. She was the prettiest prime minister I've ever seen.

[kurnell]

She's made her money and will now nick off. Result!

[NongKhaiKid]

Is a 5 year ban likely to make any difference to her personally presuming she never wanted to be in politics anyway ?

She's only needed now as a cause celebre and in any case there's more than enough Shins around..

[Diplomatico]

"However, the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), which has been running street protests for six months, appears to believe the removal of Yingluck gives them the long-awaited opportunity to set up a reform administration. "Tomorrow [today] we will take steps towards appointing a new government," PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said."

Well, this should be interesting. Perhaps a panel of TV members should appoint a new government too.

[pkspeaker]

The Yingluck administration is still in charge, i don't think they're going to get the 3/5s vote in the senate for impeachment; the opposition is spinning it's wheels in the sand trying all this legal maneuvering.. and the Senate speaker appointing a new PM is a joke, the PDRC can have their new PM in their own little fantasy land at lumphini park.

[Scamper]

" Charupong Ruangsuwan, leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, was pessimistic about the new poll. "I believe there will definitely be no election. "

This is significant. And it comes from one of the key spokesmen of both Pheu Thai and the UDD. This article stresses that no vacuum was created. And yet it has. And to the degree it hasn't, Pheu Thai refuses to abide by the verdicts anyway. Surapong's not budging. Chalerm's not budging. They still claim Yingluck's defense minister. They just selected someone from half a cabinet whom they now call a prime minister, even though the constitution only allows for the election of a prime minister through a quorum-filled parliament, or the Senate in the event of a quorum-less parliament. And this " prime minister " is overseeing half a caretaker cabinet, with no legislative power, no parliament, no public mandate, and no path or even expectation of achieving one. That's called paralysis.

[emondorock]

May we say "god save the king" because nothing will save the GDP or rice farmers.

[alant]

The whole thing is a worry to me and I am surprised that I seem to be one of a very few that believes the the removal of one fanatical group by another fanatical group both of which claim the others do not have the right to govern may lead to serious unrest.

So far Suthep has been able to strut around as the voice of opposition but what if he becomes the voice of power? Will certain factions accept this and go back to being lowly farmers? Possibly not.

[WoopyDoo]

Let's hope that if this bunch are refusing to move, then the PDRC are ready to 'move them' forcefully.

If the courts can't do it, and the army don't have the stomach to do it.... then the people will do it.

It may get ugly.

[Mr Yim]

Of course the PDRC have a plan to win todays final battle. They are going to blow their whistles as loudly as they possibly can and spout more rhetoric which will have Sutheps clowns orgasming in the streets and behind their computers. And when that fails miserably, Suthep will announce another final day, next week.

[gabruce]

Of course the PDRC have a plan to win todays final battle. They are going to blow their whistles as loudly as they possibly can and spout more rhetoric which will have Sutheps clowns orgasming in the streets and behind their computers. And when that fails miserably, Suthep will announce another final day, next week.

Which is the way it should be! Protest? Yes. Violence? No!

[alant]

Let's hope that if this bunch are refusing to move, then the PDRC are ready to 'move them' forcefully.

If the courts can't do it, and the army don't have the stomach to do it.... then the people will do it.

It may get ugly.

then the people may do it? when It comes to people power, maybe the Shins have the edge. Only the army may change this. If my feelings about the numbers of supporters are wrong please feel free to correct me...

[binjalin]

stand proud as Thailand's first female PM and you acted with dignity

the vast majority of Thais know that the time for the feudalistic Ammart is nearly over - they will never give up until it IS over - just a question of time

[tezzainoz]

I'm gonna miss her. She was the prettiest prime minister I've ever seen.

Time you took a ride on the 5 pm sky train around Siam

then you will see what real beautiful Thai ladies look like

and sadly to say, most have more commonsense

[dutchisaan]

Of course the PDRC have a plan to win todays final battle. They are going to blow their whistles as loudly as they possibly can and spout more rhetoric which will have Sutheps clowns orgasming in the streets and behind their computers. And when that fails miserably, Suthep will announce another final day, next week.

It a lot better to blow wishels than trowing granades.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Tom420]

I'm gonna miss her. She was the prettiest prime minister I've ever seen.

I STILL would

[oldsailor35]

I'm gonna miss her. She was the prettiest prime minister I've ever seen.

Yeh! but she never had a handbag like Maggie's.

[h90]

The whole thing is a worry to me and I am surprised that I seem to be one of a very few that believes the the removal of one fanatical group by another fanatical group both of which claim the others do not have the right to govern may lead to serious unrest.

So far Suthep has been able to strut around as the voice of opposition but what if he becomes the voice of power? Will certain factions accept this and go back to being lowly farmers? Possibly not.

Suthep promises 1 year reforms and than free elections. All the reform government will be banned for 5 years. While the Shins will govern the next 30 years if they can.

[CWMcMurray]

Is it possible for criminal charges to be pursued even if Senate decides not to impeach?

Are these separate issues?

If so, what agency is in charge of following up on the criminal charges?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mr Yim]

Let's hope that if this bunch are refusing to move, then the PDRC are ready to 'move them' forcefully.

If the courts can't do it, and the army don't have the stomach to do it.... then the people will do it.

It may get ugly.

I trust WoopyDoo that you will be on the front line.

[Wombat6]

stand proud as Thailand's first female PM and you acted with dignity

the vast majority of Thais know that the time for the feudalistic Ammart is nearly over - they will never give up until it IS over - just a question of time

Why are you posting this Brown nose rubbish on TV....you should be posting on Yinglucks Facebook page

[Frank James]

Let's hope that if this bunch are refusing to move, then the PDRC are ready to 'move them' forcefully.

If the courts can't do it, and the army don't have the stomach to do it.... then the people will do it.

It may get ugly.

I trust WoopyDoo that you will be on the front line.

Woopy Doo indeed.

[mrtoad]

Really YL and her bunch of clowns should have been give lifetime bans from politics.

[marko kok prong]

I am just wondering now this has happened if she did try to flee the country,presumably she could not use a public airport,would she be allowed to leave by the authorties i mean,or would it be a private jet at a private airfeild,i suspect the latter,does any one have any ideas about this,i mean is she at present free to leave the country?

[Donk]

I'm gonna miss her. She was the prettiest prime minister I've ever seen.

I'd like to take her out to a nice dinner!

[NeilSA1]

I'm gonna miss her. She was the prettiest prime minister I've ever seen.

Time you took a ride on the 5 pm sky train around Siam

then you will see what real beautiful Thai ladies look like

and sadly to say, most have more commonsense

I think ChoakMyDee was referring to prime ministers, not the general public.

[bigbamboo]

I'm gonna miss her. She was the prettiest prime minister I've ever seen.

Bless.

[Bluespunk]

"It was not clear what legal basis the PDRC's vow was based on,"

Cloud Cuckoo land laws and ordinances

[NeilSA1]

Of course the PDRC have a plan to win todays final battle. They are going to blow their whistles as loudly as they possibly can and spout more rhetoric which will have Sutheps clowns orgasming in the streets and behind their computers. And when that fails miserably, Suthep will announce another final day, next week.

...... and the caretaker government will make yet more promises and assertions that significant rice sales have been concluded / are being concluded...........and that farmers will be paid.