Thai parliament sets Yingluck impeachment date

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's military-stacked legislature pushed ahead Friday with plans to impeach ousted former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in what analysts say is an attempt to neuter her family's influence in politics for good.

The National Legislative Assembly voted Friday to bring an impeachment hearing in the New Year.

"The opening of impeachment set on January 9 at 10am and I think the whole process will take about 30 days," assembly member Jetn Siratharanont told AFP.

Yingluck, Thailand’s first female premier and the sister of fellow ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was removed from office in a controversial court ruling shortly before the army toppled the remnants of her elected government on May 22.

Despite being forced out of office, the military plan to impeach her over her administration’s loss-making rice subsidy programme which - while popular among her rural powerbase - was a driving force behind protests against her now toppled government.

Yingluck’s legal team had hoped to delay the hearing so they could gather more evidence but their request was denied.

Analysts say the impeachment proceedings are part of a wider campaign to make sure her family - who are loathed by the military and Bangkok-based royalist establishment - cannot enter office again.

"This is all part of the attempt by the junta to eliminate the Shinawatras from Thai politics," Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an expert on Thailand and staunch junta critic at Japan’s Kyoto University, told AFP.

"The junta is trying to install infrastructure, through drafting a new constitution and also through a series of pending cases, to make sure that if there is ever another election someone like Yingluck -- or someone closely associated with her -- will not be able to stand," he added.

A successful impeachment needs three fifths of the national legislature to vote in favour and could see Yingluck barred from politics for five years.

The junta, which had initially hinted at an October 2015 election, said this week that fresh polls were unlikely before 2016.

May’s coup was the latest chapter in Thailand’s long-drawn political conflict, which broadly pits a Bangkok-based middle class and royalist elite, backed by parts of the military and judiciary, against rural and working-class voters loyal to the Shinawatras.

A Shinawatra-led or aligned government has been brought to power in every poll since 2001.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Thai-parliament-sets-Yingluck-impeachment-date-30248826.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-28

How would they neuter the rest of the Shinawatra clan by impeaching Yingluck.

One down, but still a lot to go.

"This is all part of the attempt by the junta to eliminate the Shinawatras from Thai politics," Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an expert on Thailand"

I'm not an expert, by far, but I could have told you that.

And I wish and hope with all my heart that they will ban them forever, if possible, and not only for 5 years.

About time the incompetent thief and puppet got her just desserts.

"This is all part of the attempt by the junta to eliminate the Shinawatras from Thai politics," Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an expert on Thailand"

I'm not an expert, by far, but I could have told you that.

And I wish and hope with all my heart that they will ban them forever, if possible, and not only for 5 years.

Costas, please surprise us sometimes!! We have heard your Hare Krishna mantra before.

BTW. I thought democracy originated in Greece, but clearly you slept through those classes too!!

What exact difference will it make in your personal life, if YL is banned from politics??

Gang, please turn the rhetoric down a bit. Risky. Thanks.

How would they neuter the rest of the Shinawatra clan by impeaching Yingluck.

One down, but still a lot to go.

The only ones getting neutered here are the Thai people!!

All to the benefit of the rightwing yellows and their feudal masters with their mighty sponsors!!

Yes the Shins are probably thiefs, but elected thiefs!!

At least let the Thai people have a say in, who is stealing from them!!

she already has had plenty of time to transfer her funds out of thailand.

maybe she will run for it too

Two down, but what about Yaowapha and the children? I don't hear a fat lady singing right now.

"The opening of impeachment set on January 9 at 10am and I think the whole process will take about 30 days,"

Dollars to dough-nuts she gets more extensions and the whole thing drags into 2016 without a resolution.

Progress is being made, strip them of all their assets, and throw them in jail. Strong message will then be sent, that nobody is above the law !

And this is why I love the current popular government (unless you refer to elections 3 years ago)

They are driving home accountability for corrupt and negligent politicians. Independent agencies would never be able to do that under the previous regime.

I look forward to seeing this woman face accountability (PTP's greatest enemy). To the very end she said "This scheme is beneficial to the farmers" while at the same time those very farmers protested, committed suicide and are in the same financial position they were 15 years ago even after the regime gave them over 1.5 trillion baht with the majority of that money coming over the last 3 years.

I am a donkey farmer, put a carrot tax payers money in front of me and I will chase it forever.

I look forward to her demise.

Would be good to see politicians held responsible for their actions? This is what this is about irrespective of your colour politics?

Better to put her under house arrest , or she will be doing a runner like her brother.

Which actually may be what they want. Just throwing her in jail for many years

may not do down well with the red buffaloes.....

"Red buffaloes"

Fluent in fascist yellow speak are we?

Meanwhile, did the good general disclose how he was able to amass millions of dollars on his 40k a year general salary? The math simply doesn't add up there. Not even close.

All this is, all it ever is, is one group in power getting rid of their competition.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Off topic and trolling posts and replies have been removed.

1) Deck stacked. Check

2))Kangaroo court ready. Check

3) Witnesses and evidence denied. Check

4)Due process of law thrown out the window. Check

5)Any dissenters sent for attitude adjustment Check

Then the junta thunderbirds are go!

The only ones being denied justice are the Thai people, Yingluck has used every trick in the book to delay her trial but now her time is running out. Family history suggests that she will run for it, but perhaps she has more courage than her brother and many of their cohorts.

And this is why I love the current popular government (unless you refer to elections 3 years ago)

They are driving home accountability for corrupt and negligent politicians. Independent agencies would never be able to do that under the previous regime.

I look forward to seeing this woman face accountability (PTP's greatest enemy). To the very end she said "This scheme is beneficial to the farmers" while at the same time those very farmers protested, committed suicide and are in the same financial position they were 15 years ago even after the regime gave them over 1.5 trillion baht with the majority of that money coming over the last 3 years.

I am a donkey farmer, put a carrot tax payers money in front of me and I will chase it forever.

I look forward to her demise.

Interesting quotes from DJJAMIE:

"I look forward to her demise.

• ramrod711 likes this
• Like This

May PEACE and reconciliation be with you."

You say you look forward to her demise. Then you close with your signature quote "May PEACE and reconciliation be with you."

HYPOCRISY from you (again). Like most elitists, of whom you are merely a posing member, you want good things for the few, and the rest to bow to your authoritah! I bet you even look like South Park Carmen.

The level in the C P river in 2010 when Abhisit was in power was only a few centimeters less than in 2011, and I have photos to prove it, yet because of better management there was no flooding in BKK.

There was flooding elsewhere up stream but because there were people in place who knew what they were doing and they didn't panic then things were done a lot better.

Dislike Abhisit as much as you like, but get your facts straight!!

So in a single snap shot of time, on a single photo you have taken, in a single location on a river hundreds and hundreds of KM long, the water was at a level a 'few' centimeters less in a single moment of time in 2010 than in 2011, and this proves the fact that the worst flooding in 50 years was down to poor Governance of PTP who had been in power 2 months, despite it taking months for the water to come down the river?

Are you for real?

"This is all part of the attempt by the junta to eliminate the Shinawatras from Thai politics," Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an expert on Thailand"

I'm not an expert, by far, but I could have told you that.

And I wish and hope with all my heart that they will ban them forever, if possible, and not only for 5 years.

Costas, please surprise us sometimes!! We have heard your Hare Krishna mantra before.

BTW. I thought democracy originated in Greece, but clearly you slept through those classes too!!

What exact difference will it make in your personal life, if YL is banned from politics??

If Yingluck and her incompetent friends are banned from politics, my house will hopefully stay dry and intact - compared to 2011. So yes it means a lot to me personally that she will never be able to make any decisions that can affect my personal life.

What a load of nonsense!!

Yingluck became PM in Aug 2011, two months later in Oct 2011 the country was hit by the the worst floods in half a century.

And ofcourse, according to you, the lack of floodprevention had nothing at all to do with the previous Abhisit-led government??

Dislike YL as much as you like, but get your facts straight!!

I got my favts staight i and others lived through it. It was a decision not to release water sooner that caused the flooding from the dams that was done during her goverment.

Also they never warned ppl in advanced said the flooding was not bad while they had access to planes and satellites. They downplayed it a lot withholding evidence untill it was too late for many. Had i known what was comming i would not have been stuck at home with two dogs flooded for a month. When the floods came we could choose let the dogs die or stay with them as they could not be transported out.

YL failded big time and later did the same with the rice program downplaying losses denying it till it could no longer be done. She remids me of Sadms minister of propaganda.

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"This is all part of the attempt by the junta to eliminate the Shinawatras from Thai politics," Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an expert on Thailand"

I'm not an expert, by far, but I could have told you that.

And I wish and hope with all my heart that they will ban them forever, if possible, and not only for 5 years.

Costas, please surprise us sometimes!! We have heard your Hare Krishna mantra before.

BTW. I thought democracy originated in Greece, but clearly you slept through those classes too!!

What exact difference will it make in your personal life, if YL is banned from politics??

Actually JOC "Hare Krishna mantra" applies even more so to your posting buddies.

A reminder here:

Please use discretion in your references to the government. Phrases which can be considered as anti-coup will be removed. Referring to Thailand or the government as a dictatorship, military dictatorship or other such terms will be removed.

Soon to be postponed, because XXXTREME brainwashing the nation has priority

1) Deck stacked. Check

2))Kangaroo court ready. Check

3) Witnesses and evidence denied. Check

4)Due process of law thrown out the window. Check

5)Any dissenters sent for attitude adjustment Check

Then the junta thunderbirds are go!

And then there is this....

A successful impeachment needs three fifths of the national legislature to vote in favour

3/5? I bet we don't even hit the previous record of 3 abstentions.

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. The floods of 2011 have no relevance to the impeachment of Yingluck:

Despite being forced out of office, the military plan to impeach her over her administration’s loss-making rice subsidy programme which - while popular among her rural powerbase - was a driving force behind protests against her now toppled government.

What a farce.

Why don't our military rulers just cut to the chase and add an explicit clause in the next constitution stating that no Shinawatra or associate can ever be a politician. That's what they'd really like to do, though of course it will never solve their basic problem which is that many voters don't like establishment politics any more.

It appears they don't really and truly know what they are doing.

How would they neuter the rest of the Shinawatra clan by impeaching Yingluck.

One down, but still a lot to go.

uuh, you are naive.... Do you think there is any change if you replace the one family clan by another??? The one is as good/bad as the other.

Fighting the opposition, whilst preserving FACE and carefully SAVE FACE of the opposition itself....

TiFT

How would they neuter the rest of the Shinawatra clan by impeaching Yingluck.

One down, but still a lot to go.

The only ones getting neutered here are the Thai people!!

All to the benefit of the rightwing yellows and their feudal masters with their mighty sponsors!!

Yes the Shins are probably thiefs, but elected thiefs!!

At least let the Thai people have a say in, who is stealing from them!!

But a thief is still a thief whether elected or not.

Why do you assume that ALL the Thai people are being neutered when the people are being charged are in your words "probably thieves".

Unless I have missed something the people who are having their say actually are Thai people and not farangs.