webfact Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Tit-for-tat widens post-poll divisions By THE NATION File photo PHEU THAI APPROACHES EC, SEEKS ACTION AGAINST PM OVER USE OF STATE BUDGET BEFORE ELECTION THE March 24 election, far from bringing stability to politics, seems to have only unleashed a slugfest as politicians go for the jugular with lawsuits and complaints against rivals even as the country awaits anxiously the official election results more than a month since polling day. The charges pressed in the past month have ranged from computer crimes to violation of electoral laws, and range in severity from causing small inconvenience to disqualification from office, a political ban and party dissolution. In the latest tit-for-tat action, Pheu Thai Party yesterday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against the junta chief and Phalang Pracharat Party’s PM candidate, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, accusing him of handing out cash to public health volunteers to get them to vote for Phalang Pracharat. The accusation was based on the Cabinet’s resolution in December to raise the pay for the volunteers from Bt600 to Bt1,000 a month with three months retroactive payment. The scheme cost the exchequer Bt4.2 billion and came into effect late in March – a couple of days before the election. Pheu Thai secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai said yesterday such exploitation of the national budget would have landed an ordinary government leader in jail. Also yesterday, Pheu Thai – the regime’s arch rival – also petitioned the EC to dissolve Phalang Pracharat for having approved an ineligible MP candidate. The case involves Chanwit Wiphusiri, Phalang Pracharat’s successful MP candidate in Min Buri district, who is alleged to hold shares in a media company, which is prohibited for MP contestants. The allegation was the same as the one levelled against the anti-junta leader of Future Forward Party, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. If found guilty, Thanathorn could be disqualified from the House of Representatives. The Pheu Thai representative in the case, Narong Rungthanawong, told the press he would like the EC to scrutinise Chanwit the same way it had done Thanathorn, adding that Pheu Thai had already made sure none of its MPs were shareholders in media companies. Prominent social activist Srisuwan Janya yesterday also filed the same complaint regarding Chanwit with the EC. Srisuwan had earlier gone after Future Forward Party members, lodging multiple complaints against them, but the activist insisted yesterday that he treated candidates from all parties equally. Responding to Thanathorn’s threat to also bring him to court, Srisuwan said he remained undeterred and might sue the politician again, accusing him of presenting false evidence to the EC in the media-shares case. Meanwhile, anti-junta politician Seripisut Temiyavet yesterday faced a disqualification threat after one of his former subordinates, Tinnakorn Natmungkung, requested the EC to investigate whether Seripisut had been fired from a state office. Dismissal from state office is a prohibition for MP candidates, under the Constitution. In addition to these suits involving politicians, the poll authority itself is facing accusations of negligence of duty in failing to conduct the calculation of party-list MPs and seeking the Constitutional Court’s intervention on the matter. The EC has yet to clarify the issue. Its president, Ittiporn Boonpracong, yesterday would only say that the results would be announced next week following the timeframe, while refusing to say which method would be used. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30368709 -- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-02 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post YetAnother Posted May 1, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2019 2 hours ago, webfact said: Pheu Thai secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai said yesterday such exploitation of the national budget would have landed an ordinary government leader in jail. maybe so but the current megalomaniac thinks himself Far above any rules , not long ago he said: 'i can do anything i want' 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullcave Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 4 hours ago, webfact said: PHEU THAI APPROACHES EC, SEEKS ACTION AGAINST PM OVER USE OF STATE BUDGET BEFORE ELECTION Oh, that's a suprise. Really? I'm shocked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oziex1 Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 The National Council for Peace and Order, need a new name. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candide Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 45 minutes ago, Oziex1 said: The National Council for Peace and Order, need a new name. I think the new name I could propose would be against forum rules! ???? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chama Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 16 hours ago, webfact said: The accusation was based on the Cabinet’s resolution in December to raise the pay for the volunteers from Bt600 to Bt1,000 a month with three months retroactive payment. The scheme cost the exchequer Bt4.2 billion and came into effect late in March – a couple of days before the election. Seems that several members of society were provided cash influxes prior to the election which many observers claimed equated to buying votes. And the Circus Ringmaster is correct (so far) he can do anything he wants until the public removes him from office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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