Dozens Of Thai Rak Thai MPs Resign

[george]

Dozens of Thai Rak Thai MPs resign

BANGKOK: -- Dozens of senior Thai Rak Thai MPs resign from their party on Monday, just days after the military council issued an order banning for five years from political activities of all executive members of a party that has been dissolved.

TRT's deputy leader, Somsak Thepsuthin, said that he and his Wan Nam Yom faction would submit the resignation in this afternoon. "We will resign from TRT for sure. We are typing the resignation letter," he told reporters.

Somsak is controlling a faction in TRT which has about 80 members. "Some members of my faction have already submitted the resignation. I will see whether the I can resign today," Somsak said.

Over the weekend, the council that seized power from the Thaksin government has issued an order that banned executive members of any party from political activities for five years if the party is ordered to dissolve by court.

Both TRT the Democrat Party are facing a trial for allegedly hiring smaller parties to serve as their proxy in the April 2006 election.

Banyin Tang-arporn, a former Nakhon Sawan MP said that Somsak and other TRT MPs discussed whether they would be subject to be banned if they resign if and when is dissolved by a court.

Other senior members of TRT who already resigned from their party included former PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva, TRT deputy leader Surakiart Sathirathai and former Social Development and Security Minister Wattana Muangsuk. Wattana was not in the executive board.

Saran Saranket, former Uttaradit MP, Pratuan Kiewrit, former Sukhothai MP and Rungrueng Tippayasiri, a former Partylist MP.

-- The Nation 2006-10-02

[Tony Clifton]

They're bailing out now. I hope they still will all banned from politics. I wouldn't trust anyone who associated with Thaksin until the last minute.

[Jai Dee]

Throngs of TRT members; core figures and members alike; tenedered resignation today

The Wang Namyom (วังน้ำยม) faction, which is made up 60 members in the Thai Rak Thai party, resigned from the party today. In the meantime the party spokesperson team insists that the number of remaining members will not be an obstacle to the party's political functions.

Core figures and members of Thai Rak Thai party sporadically submitted resignation letters from the party after the Council for Democratic Reform's annoucement that the election rights of party administrators of any dissolved party be suspended for 5 years. Well-known names include former deputy prime minister Surakiart Sathirathai (สุรเกียรติ์ เสถียรไทย), former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watthana Muangsuk (วัฒนา เมืองสุข), Mr. Suchart Tancharoen (สุชาติ ตันเจริญ) & Mr. Sora_at Klinprathum (สรอรรถ กลิ่นประทุม) from the Banrimnam (บ้านริมน้ำ) faction, Former Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Suranand Vejjajiva (สุรนันทน์ เวชชาชีวะ), Mr. Sonthaya Khunpluem (สนธยา คุณปลื้ม) who leads the Chonburi faction, and all remaining members of the Wangnamyom (วังน้ำยม) faction. In the meantime Pongphol Adireksan (ปองพล อดิเรกสาร), the head of Thai Rak Thai party-list MPs, resigned from his administerial position at the party but is still a member.

This evening former labour minister Somsak Thepsuthin (สมศักดิ์ เทพสุทิน) sent a representative to the party to arrange his resignation. Mr. Somsak indicated he will no longer be involved with politics.

The Thai Rak Thai spokespersons team said the party maintains its political party status and its hope for a comprehensive Constitution and its look forward to a general election. It also declared that it will not dissolve and will operate to the last day.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 02 October 2006

[marquess]

They're bailing out now. I hope they still will all banned from politics. I wouldn't trust anyone who associated with Thaksin until the last minute.

In a "democracy" there has to be due process, before someone can be banned from politcs, rather than just an arbitary edict. Let the people decide!

[britmaveric]

Same party diff name perhaps?

[jdinasia]

They're bailing out now. I hope they still will all banned from politics. I wouldn't trust anyone who associated with Thaksin until the last minute.

In a "democracy" there has to be due process, before someone can be banned from politcs, rather than just an arbitary edict. Let the people decide!

The due process was noted above ...... "if the party is dissolved"

[teepruksa]

I would trust that the 'activation date' for all bannings would begin from April 2.

[george]

TRT sinking like Titanic

Mass exodus of executives, factions follows threat of five-year ban over election violations

BANGKOK: -- The Thai Rak Thai Party is on the verge of falling apart. Announcement No 27 by the Council for National Security (CNS) changing conditions in the act governing political parties has caused party executives and former MPs to jump ship en masse.

Wang Nam Yom leader Somsak Thepsuthin was leading members of the party's biggest faction out the door. Commanding over 100 members, his defection could all but spell the end to Thai Rak Thai's phenomenal domination of Thai politics. Putting the nail in Thai Rak Thai's coffin, deputy leader Sontaya Kunplome also said he and his 20-member faction have resigned.

According to party officials, a total of 62 former Thai Rak Thai MPs have submitted their resignations, 25 of whom are party executives.

Among Son-taya's faction members to resign were Sa-nga Thana-sanguanwong, Ittipon Kunplome, Charnyuth Heng-trakul, Kritsada Karun and Pramote Weerapong.

Somsak's secretary brought the Wang Nam Yom resignation forms to the party yesterday. All resignation letters contained Somsak's signature.

Although no reasons were given in the resignation forms, sources said the faction was alarmed by the CNS' announcement, which will ban executive members of any party for five years if the party is dissolved for breaking electoral laws.

Original laws banned executives of a dissolved party from forming a new party or becoming executives in a new party, but they were free to run in a new election.

The Thai Rak Thai Party is facing trial for allegedly hiring smaller parties to serve as its proxies in the April election, which was later nullified by the courts.

Somsak gave a vague explanation to reporters, saying he wanted to help the country achieve harmony, and that his faction wanted to see things "more clearly" after the September 19 coup.

"Under the current situation, if we are still political party members we can't help our constituency residents who now are suffering because of natural disasters. So we want to be free in order to solve the flood problem," he said.

He was referring to his faction's political stronghold, parts of which are being affected by Typhoon Xangsane.

He declined to say if he would form a new party or move to a new party. Such decisions, he said, would be announced later.

Former Nakhon Sawan MP Banyin Tangphakorn, who is Somsak's secretary, admitted the main reason for the faction members resigning from Thai Rak Thai was because of the CNS announcement.

Somsak and other Thai Rak Thai former MPs discussed whether they would be subject to the five-year ban if they resigned from a party that was to be dissolved later, Banyin said.

"The CNS amended the Political Parties Act on Saturday and that was an obvious signal that certain parties now face dissolution," Banyin said.

Choochai Mungcharoenporn, a key Wang Nam Yom member, believed Thai Rak Thai would be dissolved but that it would not affect those executives who had already quit.

But Thai Rak Thai executive Veera Musigapong said at a press conference that if the party was dissolved, the resigned members would be retroactively affected by the CNS' announcement.

Some legal experts agreed with Veera. "The announcement was meant to punish those serving as party executives at the time of the violation," Thammasat University Rector Suraphol Nitikraiphot said.

Thammasat law lecturer Somkid Lertpaitoon said Thai Rak Thai Party executives decided to resign from the party because they felt the court could not ban them from politics for five years. But he did not think the court would agree with them.

"If the court rules the party is guilty, its executives will be punished even though they have quit as party members now," he said.

As of yesterday, high-profile Thai Rak Thai members who have resigned include former PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva, deputy leader Surakiart Sathirathai, deputy leader Sora-at Klinpratoom, Suchart Tancharoen, Sontaya and former social development and human security minister Watana Muangsook. Watana was not on the executive board.

Suranand said the military coup prompted him to reconsider his political plans. "When there's a major political change, it's time for me to take a look at myself," he said.

Although he defended the party's policies, a source said the looming possibility of Thai Rak Thai being dissolved had caused Suranand to desert.

Meanwhile, Chon Buri faction leader Sontaya and about 20 other former MPs are expected to move to the Chat Thai Party where he was once a member.

There have also been reports that certain former Thai Rak Thai members plan to form a new political party called "Seri Thai".

It was reported yesterday that other factions lead by Sudarat Keyuraphan and Suwat Liptapanlop were about to make a decision on their future soon.

Pracharaj Party leader Snoh Thienthong said the military council's amendment of the Political Parties Act was a crystal-clear signal that Thai Rak Thai's days were numbered. But he said he remained unsure if the Thai Rak Thai executives could escape punishment by simply fleeing the party.

Thai Rak Thai's website and that of its founder, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, were closed yesterday.

--The Nation 2006-10-03

[george]

Members exodus at Thai Rak Thai Party

BANGKOK: -- Former Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and another former minister Wattana Muangsook tendered their resignation, along with many other members, of Thai Rak Thai party on Monday.

The exodus followed an order by the Council for Democratic Reform which stipulates that in the advent of a court order to disband a political party, executive members will be banned from contesting in elections for five years.

Thai Rak Thai and Democrat parties are awaiting court verdict on suits seeking to disband both parties.

Among the leading members to quit the TRT party yesterday included Mr Surakiart, who served as deputy party leader. He asked to relinquish both the party membership and executive position. Another high-profile person to leave yesterday was former Social Development and Human Security Minister Wattana Muangsook.

Veteran politician Pongpol Adireksan and former Saraburi MP Pos Adireksan both resigned from the Party’s executive committee but retain their membership.

Another major faction in the TRT led by Mr Somsak Thepsuthin comprising some 20 members also tendered their resignation yesterday afternoon. Former Nakhon Sawan MP Banyin Tangpaporn said Mr Somsak conferred with his colleagues and found that if the court verdict rules that TRT party be dissolved, nearly 100 former members of TRT would be unable to contest in the polls.

Mr Somsak’s resignation letter along with those of his faction members were tended to the Thai Rak Thai Party registrar yesterday. He said the group had to leave because it wanted to promote national unity and that “rules are not conducive to help the public for whom we have served for the last 25 years.”

Along with Mr Somsak’s faction, another party executive Suranand Vejjajiva also resigned from both the executive position and membership. He said he would take time off to rest and think the next move during the period when the new charter’s being drafted.

The party’s Registrar Samarn Wonglertrat told reporters that members have begun to leave gradually in recent months, for instance Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprabha. And upon the Council for Democratic Reform’s order forbidding those running in local elections using party platform in electioneering, more quit including former deputy party leader Sonthaya Khunpluem and his colleagues from Chonburi.

TRT Party executive Veera Musikpong on behalf of those who remain said Thai Rak Thai party wants to work for national reconciliation and hopes for a democratic charter along with swift election. He insists that the party remains a political party ready to serve the country and the electorate.

Regarding the resignation in drove, Mr Veera said those who quit did so out of their own free will and consideration. But he himself will stick to the party until the very end.

--TNA 2006-10-03

[Jai Dee]

TRT is preparing to issue book clarifying facts related to the resignation of TRT members

The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) is preparing to issue a document to clarify the facts on the resignation of the party leader and its 119 executive members. The document will be submitted to the Election Commission (EC).

Following the resignation of Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin Shinawatra, the atmosphere at the TRT headquarters is very quiet. Mr. Saman Lertwongrat (สมาน เลิศวงศ์รัฐ), the Director of the TRT Administrative Office, said that the resignation of former Prime Minister Thaksin has inevitably caused all other party executives to be dismissed. Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan (สุดารัตน์ เกยุราพันธุ์), the acting TRT leader, has to submit a document containing the facts of resignation to the EC, following the Council of National Security’s announcement to prohibit all political activities. According to the law, the TRT has been disallowed to hold any political gathering, and all TRT executives must clarify their assets to the EC. Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin has to show his list of assets to the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC).

Moreover, the Wang Nam Yen faction is preparing to submit their resignation letters, while Lamtakong faction is discussing with its leader Suwat Liptapanlop (สุวัจน์ ลิปตพัลลภ) on whether they will resign from the TRT or not.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 04 October 2006

[Pink Mist]

topic closed has run the course