Thai Ministers Don't Need To Resign : EC's Sodsri

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DISQUALIFIED MINISTERS

Ministers don't need to resign : EC's Sodsri

By Prapasri Osathanon

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation

Boonjong

Two ministers disqualified as MPs for holding shares in state firms need not vacate their ministerial posts, as they had sold the shares before becoming ministers, Election Commissioner Sodsri Satayathum said yesterday.

The Constitution Court ruled last Wednesday to disqualify the six MPs, including two Cabinet members, for holding shares in a state concession, which is prohibited by Article 265 of the Constitution. The judges said the ban also applied to Cabinet members and MPs’ spouses.

The two ministers are Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat, who was a Nakhon Ratchasima MP from Bhum Jai Thai Party, and Deputy Transport Minister Kuakul Danchaiwijit, who was an Ayutthaya MP from the Chart Thai Pattana Party.

Sodsri said the wives of Boonjong and Kuakul, had bought their shares in PTT Exploration and Production after the election, but sold them before their husbands took up the ministerial posts.

“The Constitution Court ruled Kuakul and Boonjong out of their MP posts" but I have verified their qualification for ministerial posts and found no cause for the EC to ask the court to consider their qualifications as ministers,” Sodsri said. “However, whether both ministers will resign before running in the MP by-election is their choice.”

Boonjong’s wife Kanchana sold their shares on June 23, 2008, while Kuakul’s wife Nalinee held their shares until March 16, 2008.

Boonjong and Kuakul were elected as MPs in the December 23, 2007 election and became ministers on December 20, 2008.

Boonjong said he would follow the party on whether it would field him or his wife in the by-election in Nakhon Ratchasima, and whether he should resign from his ministerial post.

Bhum Jai Thai Party leader and Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul said the party would meet today to decide on the issue. However, it was not illegal for Boonjong to stay in the post while running in the by-election.

Kuakul said his wife had already sold the shares before he became a minister. But whether he would resign from the ministerial post before standing for election would depend on the Chart Thai Pattana Party. It is due to discuss the situation next Monday.

The EC has scheduled by-elections to be held in the five MP seats on December 12. Candidate registration is open from November 22 to 26.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said the resignation of former deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban before he contested a by-election in Surat Thani recently was a “moral standard”. But Suthep is discussing the issue now with both ministers from the minor parties.

The PM responded yesterday to a comment by Somsak Prissananantakul, a ministerial adviser at the Chart Thai Pattana Party, that Abhisit should not interfere in the work of coalition parties. Abhisit said: “If it’s related to the people, that’s another story.”

Puea Pandin leader Charnchai Chairungrueng said his party would skip the weekly meeting today as it already had candidates for the by-election.

-- The Nation 2010-11-09

[mythBuster]

No problem, in those circles everybody helps a bit out. Nobody should invest in the Thai stock market anyhow, because by being not related to the happy few you will even ose money when you are George Sorros. Everybody is using inside knowledge, without an exception. All institutes in Thailand that should be involved in justice are there just to keep up an appearance of justice. Now and than a nobody will be prosecuted or a political enemy.