Acting PM to meet Senate tomorrow
The Sunday Nation

Provincial leaders and allies of the anti-government People

BANGKOK: -- But Niwattumrong insists that any and all solutions must abide by charter

Acting Prime Minister Niwattum-rong Boonsongpaisan will meet with the Senate tomorrow to discuss ways to break the political impasse but has insisted that any solution must be constitutional and any move to appoint a new prime minister cannot be done unless it is legal.

"I have already been contacted by the Senate and there'll be a meeting with representatives [of the Senate]. It will take place at a secured location in order to prevent obstruction by the [anti-government] People's Demo-cratic Reform Committee [PDRC]," Niwattumrong said.

"As for the election, there will be another consultation with the Election Commission (EC). Whether it will be a [face-to-face] meeting or a teleconference we will soon decide."

He said he was aware that the EC wanted to add to the Royal Act that an election could be postponed, even after announcing the date, if the situation made it necessary.

The acting premier also tried to alleviate concerns that the army would intervene by staging a coup or declaring martial law, saying army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha's seven-point declaration - which included the threat of the use of full force if necessary - merely stemmed from Prayuth's desire to see peace and order.

Niwattumrong also reiterated that the remaining caretaker Cabinet would continue to carry out its duty under Article 181 of the charter until a new government was installed.

Opposition Democrat Party spokesperson Chavanond Intara-komalyasut, meanwhile, called on the government to quickly consult with the Senate and pave the way for a new government in order to solve the economic malaise.

Issues affecting the economy include the falling price of agricultural produce, the high cost of living, and the money owed to rice farmers under the rice-pledging scheme.

Ongart Klampaiboon, deputy leader of the Democrat Party, accused the caretaker government of dragging its feet in an attempt to hang on to power.

Ongart listed five measures allegedly adopted by the Pheu Thai administration: pushing for an election first in order to remain in power; using red shirts to coerce others through all means; using radical red shirts as a threat of force; using state mechanism to deal with opposing mid-ranking officials; and using high-ranking officials who benefit from Thaksin Shinawatra's regime to pressure business people who support the PDRC.

Ongart predicted, however, that all these measures would fail.

Pheu Thai Party legal adviser Pichit Chuenban warned on his Facebook page yesterday that any attempt by the Senate to install an appointed prime minister via Article 7 of the constitution would be tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative.

He said the constitution didn't authorise the Senate speaker or the Senate to carry out such a move, while a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court made it clear that the caretaker Cabinet could continue to carry out its duty.

In another related development, Pheu Thai Party deputy spokesperson Ansuron Iamsa-ard warned the Election Commission that its commissioners could end up in prison if they failed to earnestly hold an election.

Anusorn said the EC should play the role of referee and not be a party to the political conflict.

-- The Nation 2014-05-18

the ec could end up in prison..what a great way to get people on board..hardly the hub of diplomacy ..

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

Pheu Thai Party legal adviser Pichit Chuenban warned

Pheu Thai just can't seem to dump disgraced Thaksin's bribing pastry box lawyer.

Comical that he would be warning anybody of anything illegal.

Why do they keep calling this man acting PM? Is he not caretaker PM? Does he have less power than the last caretaker PM? I cant see why an can only think the press is biased and do not want to show the people he is in charge and is merely pretending to do the job as caretaker PM

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Pheu Thai Party legal adviser Pichit Chuenban warned on his Facebook page yesterday that any attempt by the Senate to install an appointed prime minister via Article 7 of the constitution would be tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative.

I must admit I am not an expert on constitutional Law

but if Article 7 is part of the Constitution how can it be illegal or tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative, if it is acted on

when a law is written I understand it can be interpreted 2 ways

thats why we have a hight court, whose decision on the translation mean is binding

Only in thailand can a lawyer turn around and say the high court are wrong

Typical! More threats if the reds cant have things their own way. Anusorn is talking out of his orn.

The sooner Thailand realises that it needs to shake off Thaksin's test tentacles and sweep Suthep off the streets the sooner it can start a healing process.

Pheu Thai Party legal adviser Pichit Chuenban warned on his Facebook page yesterday that any attempt by the Senate to install an appointed prime minister via Article 7 of the constitution would be tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative.

I must admit I am not an expert on constitutional Law

but if Article 7 is part of the Constitution how can it be illegal or tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative, if it is acted on

when a law is written I understand it can be interpreted 2 ways

thats why we have a hight court, whose decision on the translation mean is binding

Only in thailand can a lawyer turn around and say the high court are wrong

There is a copy of the Thai Constitution online. Article 7 is horrendously ambiguous, and flatly states nothing, with vague language. It is a grey area emergency clause that was either supposed to be a parachute, loophole or both. The Thais tried to invoke Article 7 several years ago and the King said "No". Never in Thai history has a Royal Decree been reversed, and puts the opposition in a difficult situation (especially because anyone who tinkers with the Great Man's decisions is not playing with fire -- they are gargling liquid plutonium).

Acting PM to meet Senate tomorrow

We've heard that before.

Why do they keep calling this man acting PM? Is he not caretaker PM? Does he have less power than the last caretaker PM? I cant see why an can only think the press is biased and do not want to show the people he is in charge and is merely pretending to do the job as caretaker PM

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When Kuhn Yingluck was dismissed, she was the caretaker PM. Now that role ported to the next in line, and he is acting caretaker PM. If he gets canned, the next one would be the interim acting caretaker PM. If he subsequently gets sacked, the next one would be the temporary interim acting caretaker PM.

After that, it gets really crazy, which frankly is where it all started.

Just my HO.

Why do they keep calling this man acting PM? Is he not caretaker PM? Does he have less power than the last caretaker PM? I cant see why an can only think the press is biased and do not want to show the people he is in charge and is merely pretending to do the job as caretaker PM

Would calling him Acting Caretaker PM make you feel any better?

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

yet 40 'senators' got rid of Yingluck?

Why do they keep calling this man acting PM? Is he not caretaker PM? Does he have less power than the last caretaker PM? I cant see why an can only think the press is biased and do not want to show the people he is in charge and is merely pretending to do the job as caretaker PM

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Your are correct that Mr. Niwattumrong is fully doing the duty of caretaker PM. But, until he is Royally Endorsed, his title will include 'acting' the same as the acting Senate Speaker.

Why do they keep calling this man acting PM? Is he not caretaker PM? Does he have less power than the last caretaker PM? I cant see why an can only think the press is biased and do not want to show the people he is in charge and is merely pretending to do the job as caretaker PM

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Your are correct that Mr. Niwattumrong is fully doing the duty of caretaker PM. But, until he is Royally Endorsed, his title will include 'acting' the same as the acting Senate Speaker.

He will never be royally endorsed. Such a request to the palace will never be made.

All he is in cricketing terms is a night watchman.

A stepping stone for the next Shinawatra.

Keeping the bed warm.

Filling in.

A substitute

Soon to be demoted back to the ranks

A humble Thaksin lackey

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It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

yet 40 'senators' got rid of Yingluck?

No, they didn't.

Try sticking to honest statements.

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

Wrong!

We are in the last 2 weeks of this government.

Of course the threats are going to fly.

Suthep has made a statement that should see the PTP celebrating a victory almost.... They are far from celebrating, they are stepping up the threats and rhetoric to cling to power.

They know their end is coming and everything they threaten will come to nothing, just watch and see. We can also add the pro Thaksin senators to the outgoing mail now. They met with Thaksin last week, they may be denying taking money from him, but they admitted meeting him and that is enough to unseat them under the constitution.

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

Wrong!

In all the years reading TVF and Bkk Post I have never seen anything like the recent plethora of new posters writing factually incorrect pro Thaksin postings. Not only factually incorrect, but utter nonsense. I am also not a believer in coincidence.

Wonder if he'll phone it in or send in a representative? He seems to have already perfected his vanishing act, which, of late, fully qualifies him for his current position.

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The legitimate opposition and Suthep do not want any election they will lose. Further, the "reforms" are all about redistricting the country so they win elections. It has nothing to do with corruption -- both sides benefit a lot from that -- nonetheless, they will make it their battle cry while redistricting is the goal. If there are continued general elections, they will never again hold power. They need to carve the country up into pieces that make easy wins for their minority.

Wah! Wah!

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

Wrong!

In all the years reading TVF and Bkk Post I have never seen anything like the recent plethora of new posters writing factually incorrect pro Thaksin postings. Not only factually incorrect, but utter nonsense. I am also not a believer in coincidence.

"In all the years reading TVF and Bkk Post I have never seen anything like the recent plethora of new posters writing factually incorrect pro Thaksin postings."

If you are uncomfortable with the content of TVF you have the option to abstain, no one makes you sign in to Thai Visa........... Or do they?

The legitimate opposition and Suthep do not want any election they will lose. Further, the "reforms" are all about redistricting the country so they win elections. It has nothing to do with corruption -- both sides benefit a lot from that -- nonetheless, they will make it their battle cry while redistricting is the goal. If there are continued general elections, they will never again hold power. They need to carve the country up into pieces that make easy wins for their minority.

Wah! Wah!

Suthep wants free and fair elections.....That is one of the main reason for the demonstrations......too much red TV?

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

yet 40 'senators' got rid of Yingluck?

not the constitutional court got rid of Yingluck not the senators

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

Wrong!

In all the years reading TVF and Bkk Post I have never seen anything like the recent plethora of new posters writing factually incorrect pro Thaksin postings. Not only factually incorrect, but utter nonsense. I am also not a believer in coincidence.

How bizarre. I see dozens of pro-Suthep Thais here, each with a whopping under-four hundred posts, with standard Thainglish grammar and spelling.

I have been seeing the exact opposite -- pro-PDRC PRDC PCDRC (whoever they are) postings, with happy blinders and carefully not discussed problems with the opposition, including guards that kidnap and torture people, men stabbed in front of their pregnant wives, burned buses with teenagers on board, men thrown in the river to die, monks that dismiss this behavior (monk's! there must be a special hell for that variety) and on and on. You, sir, cannot count. Better yet, the middle class is computer-savvy, and are here to try to push agendas. What farmers in Isann have internet? Some, but not like the Bangkok "elite".

Not that the other side doesn't have their share of crud, including children killed (this one makes me turn into a wildebeest, the inbred, sow-kissing, demented excuses for dogs that they are). I hold the opinion that people who kill children should be terminated with extreme prejudice -- and I am a pacifist! I would even pull the trigger myself. When I look at my three month old baby my heart stops when I think of how those parents must feel. I firmly hold that the killing of these children is the absolute worst part of this entire fiasco. But Thais don't care about that -- just go make some merit, pay blood money, and all is well. Do thewy really think we don't know about this crap and talk about it?

The whole country (excepting HM) has no face left to lose. How can they have such a great King and not listen to him. A statue would cry if it knew.

I do not understand. I have beliefs I am willing to fight for. I have people I am willing to die for. But I am not willing to kill children to accomplish any goal I have in my life. I would rather die than become THAT man.

I just wish both sides would stop and realize that human life is not replaceable. How many geniuses that could have cured cancer have been extinguished? How many engineers that could have made solar power efficient were put under the gun? How many saints have the devils freaking slain? One is too many...just one, no matter if they were pharmacist or farmer.

Just enough are killed, I think. Just enough to keep things crazy...worldwide.

Pheu Thai Party legal adviser Pichit Chuenban warned on his Facebook page yesterday that any attempt by the Senate to install an appointed prime minister via Article 7 of the constitution would be tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative.

I must admit I am not an expert on constitutional Law

but if Article 7 is part of the Constitution how can it be illegal or tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative, if it is acted on

when a law is written I understand it can be interpreted 2 ways

thats why we have a hight court, whose decision on the translation mean is binding

Only in thailand can a lawyer turn around and say the high court are wrong

Read up on your history and you'll find out why. 2006 would be the place to start.

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It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

Wrong!

In all the years reading TVF and Bkk Post I have never seen anything like the recent plethora of new posters writing factually incorrect pro Thaksin postings. Not only factually incorrect, but utter nonsense. I am also not a believer in coincidence.

I agree, seems like Suthep has a lot of support here. You could be part of the reason.

Pheu Thai Party legal adviser Pichit Chuenban warned on his Facebook page yesterday that any attempt by the Senate to install an appointed prime minister via Article 7 of the constitution would be tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative.

I must admit I am not an expert on constitutional Law

but if Article 7 is part of the Constitution how can it be illegal or tantamount to a violation of royal prerogative, if it is acted on

when a law is written I understand it can be interpreted 2 ways

thats why we have a hight court, whose decision on the translation mean is binding

Only in thailand can a lawyer turn around and say the high court are wrong

There is a copy of the Thai Constitution online. Article 7 is horrendously ambiguous, and flatly states nothing, with vague language. It is a grey area emergency clause that was either supposed to be a parachute, loophole or both. The Thais tried to invoke Article 7 several years ago and the King said "No". Never in Thai history has a Royal Decree been reversed, and puts the opposition in a difficult situation (especially because anyone who tinkers with the Great Man's decisions is not playing with fire -- they are gargling liquid plutonium).

Actually I believe the king said the "he " could not invoke article 7 by himself.

More obscuring of written facts from PTP supporters!

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The legitimate opposition and Suthep do not want any election they will lose. Further, the "reforms" are all about redistricting the country so they win elections. It has nothing to do with corruption -- both sides benefit a lot from that -- nonetheless, they will make it their battle cry while redistricting is the goal. If there are continued general elections, they will never again hold power. They need to carve the country up into pieces that make easy wins for their minority.

Wah! Wah!

I haven't spent any time research how things currently work, but I should think that if the seats won are proportional to the population that elected them, redistricting would be a tough sell.

However, if the seats won are not proportional to the population that elected them, would you agree there is a problem?

It should be acting PM will meet with acting Senate.

It cannot be the acting PM meeting the acting Senate as the senate is illegal, you need a lower House of Parliament to make them legal.

Wrong!

In all the years reading TVF and Bkk Post I have never seen anything like the recent plethora of new posters writing factually incorrect pro Thaksin postings. Not only factually incorrect, but utter nonsense. I am also not a believer in coincidence.

I agree, seems like Suthep has a lot of support here. You could be part of the reason.

I think to be quite honest, that you will find the people on here who "support" Suthep do so partially.

Speaking for myself I think the Thaksin network in Thailand needs to be dismantled. It's not the only network (police for example) that needs this and it's not the only family network (Chitchop, Thaugsuban) either but until these clans are taken apart then Thailand will not move forward.

Using street protests has had some results that have been positive but Thailand must get back on the democratic path and in order to do that it needs to make some powerful legislative changes that probably neither side would like.

If there are some good men and women out there that are untainted by corruption and uncoloured politically that can ignore intimidation and equally decline bribes and can work on the changes in law required to stamp out corruption, nepotism, cronyism through harsh and swift punishment then I'm all for it.

If there are similarvgood people that can take the police force apart and rebuild it with law abiding, law respecting, law enforcement officers that do their job to the best with no political alignment then it should be done.

The people themselves need a lot of education on what democracy means in terms of allowing all parties to canvass their ideology without harassment or intimidation and to understand that if the laws are applied properly the reds and yellows are not required.

Education should be taken away from the government for a decade or two and run by academics. The current levels of education are a disgrace to a nation that should have a major role to play in the region.

Agriculture is another area that needs to be removed from government and managed in a way that takes out of the dark ages and moves it to the leading edge possibly by hiring all farming staff on a salary to ensure income for their families.

Just some thoughts

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