The Election Commission has heard evidence from those who accuse the former prime minister of using excessive political power.
PUBLISHED: 18 Dec 2024 at 18: 25
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is accused of exerting undue control over the decision Pheu Thai Party in a situation where an election commission screen has no authority to order him to make a statement, according to EC president Ittiporn Boonpracong on Wednesday.
The panel’s fact-finding board has already heard from those who complained about Thaksin and Pheu Thai. Thaksin has yet to offer remarks, he said.
He acknowledged that the screen has no control over what happens if Thaksin declines to provide details. All it can do is handle the case with the data available, he said.
But, Mr. Ittiporn urged Thaksin to cooperate so that he can come clean and refute the accusations made against him.
Mr Ittiporn said that when the board gathers adequate knowledge, it will provide its findings to the EC secretary-general, who serves as the secretary of political parties, to determine whether to deal with the situation.
The complaints were lodged by Thai Pakdee Party chairman Warong Dechgitvigrom, Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a member of the Palang Pracharath Party ( PPRP ), Noppharut Worachitwutthikun, a former leader of the political group Phirap Khao 2006, and an anonymous individual.
People of Pheu Thai and current and former partnership celebrations meeting Thaksin at his apartment in Bangkok on August 14 when Srettha Thavisin was removed as prime minister by the Constitutional Court, is the main accusation of unwarranted social impact.
At that meeting, members of the coalition party and Thaksin discussed potential substitutes for Mr. Srettha. Moreover, a new prime ministerial member apparently got involved in the selection process.
The meeting’s members apparently settled on 75-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former justice minister, to take Mr. Srettha’s place. The following morning, however, Pheu Thai people voted to introduce Thaksin’s girl, Paetongtarn, as the next PM.
Thaksin’s press interviews about Pheu Thai and partnership policies were among the data that was presented to support the claims.