Sure A Not

Political activist Sonthiya Sawasdee yesterday asked the Office of the Ombudsman to seek a judicial review on the actions of 314 MPs and senators who last month voted for Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat to be the next prime minister, despite knowing his MP status was under review.

Mr Sonthiya’s petition came after the office asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the legality of parliament’s rejection of Mr Pita’s renomination on July 19. The court is scheduled to rule on Aug 16 on whether to accept the petition for consideration.

Mr Sonthiya, a former adviser to the House committee on law, justice and human rights, said that before the vote to select a new prime minister, the Election Commission (EC) had already started the process to potentially disqualify Mr Pita for his iTV share ownership.

The EC found Mr Pita held shares in iTV, a media company, at the time he registered his electoral candidacy, which is a violation of sections 101(6) and 98(3) of the constitution.

The agency sent the case to court and asked it to suspend the MFP leader as an MP.

Mr Sonthiya said that even though the court accepted the EC’s petition for deliberation and suspended Mr Pita as an MP, the lawmakers from the eight-party bloc led by the MFP and some senators proceeded to vote for him.

“Parliament knew about the EC’s case against Mr Pita, but this group of MPs and senators went ahead with his nomination on July 13.”

When Mr Pita failed to muster enough votes, they tried to renominate him on July 19.

Mr Sonthiya said the actions of these lawmakers were in violation of Section 160(6) of the charter involving the qualifications of a minister, and he wanted the Ombudsman to ask the court to make a ruling.

Red-shirt supporters of the Pheu Thai Party have split over the party’s decision to form a political alliance with Bhumajaithai Party and other parties after breaking away from the Move Forward Party (MFP).

A red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) group in the northern province of Chiang Rai yesterday announced it will hold a rally on Sunday in Muang district, in a symbolic move against Pheu Thai’s political U-turn, according to a source.

The group also plans to burn their red shirts, which they wore while attending UDD events over the past two decades, in protest against Pheu Thai’s scrapping of its initial political alliance forged with the MFP, said the source.

Chirachot Phumsitthiphong and Praphan Kaeo-mun, who are former UDD key figures in Chiang Rai, are now leading the movement against Pheu Thai.

Chiranan Chanthawong, another former UDD leader in Chiang Rai, said while she still respects former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, she couldn’t agree with Pheu Thai’s latest political move in forming a new coalition and abandoning the MFP.

In Bangkok, a different group of UDD supporters gathered outside Pheu Thai’s head office yesterday to offer moral support to Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest daughter, one of the party’s three prime ministerial candidates and seen as a rising talent in the party.

During a meeting with Ms Paetongtarn, the group asked about the progress of the party’s bid to form a new coalition government.

They assured her they understood the party has a good reason to lead the new government, even though that would mean the Palang Pracharath Party and the United Thai Nation Party would have to be included in the bloc to make that possible.

Ms Paetongtarn said that since the party didn’t win a landslide victory in the May 14 election as it aimed to do, it now has to find another way to muster parliamentary support for its prime ministerial candidate.

Some UDD groups might not understand what Pheu Thai is trying to do in securing the opportunity to become the new government, she said, adding that once in power, the party will be able to push for those policies promised to voters during the last election to be implemented.

A different group of UDD supporters in Pathum Thani also expressed their support for Pheu Thai’s effort to form the new government.

Well-known actor Mario Maurer yesterday reported to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to answer questions over his alleged links to a fake car registration plate gang.

His appearance follows the arrest of two alleged ringleaders of the gang last week after the Land Transport Department claimed the pair managed to acquire the passwords of officials within the department on June 28 to gain unauthorised access to the system and create fake registration plates.

Police raided 35 locations suspected of storing cars with fake plates, mostly in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri. They seized 65 cars worth 77.3 million baht, one of which was reportedly about to be delivered to the actor.

Mario admitted to the media that he bought the car. He presented purchase documents and other evidence to the CCIB during questioning that lasted more than two hours.

Deputy CCIB chief, Pol Maj Gen Amnat Traipot, told reporters police also questioned a man — only identified as Kong — who allegedly sold the classic car to the actor and his elder brother.

Police were told the actor had also bought antique furniture from Kong, and they had known each other for about two years.

Party seeks end to polarisation

The Pheu Thai Party on Wednesday proposed setting up a special government that would put an end to political polarisation in what is widely seen as a move to bring one of the so-called uncle parties into its coalition.

The proposal came as deputy Pheu Thai leader Phumtham Wechayachai on Wednesday addressed questions surrounding the party’s plan to seek the Move Forward Party’s (MFP) support for its prime minister candidate and how to raise the coalition’s total number of MPs to meet a simple majority in the 500-seat House of Representatives.

Mr Phumtham rejected criticism the party had switched sides, saying what it was trying to achieve was to “dissolve all political camps” and have all sides help resolve the constitutional crisis that impedes the country.

Pheu Thai recently abandoned its 312-seat bloc with the MFP and forged a political alliance with the Bhumjaithai Party with 212 House seats to form a coalition government. The party’s problem was that during the campaign it promised not to form a government with the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) and the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP).

Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha was the UTN’s prime ministerial candidate who staged a coup in 2014 while Gen Prawit Wongsuwon is the PPRP’s prime ministerial candidate and is close to the military leaders who were involved with the coup.

While the Pheu Thai-led bloc is said to have gathered 238 seats, it is several votes short of a simple majority and still a long way from the 376 votes needed from the House and the Senate to get its PM candidate endorsed.

It is believed the new alliance would not succeed unless it brings on board either the UTN or the PPRP.

Mr Phumtham said he hoped the party — which is poised to nominate Srettha Thavisin as the PM candidate — would minimise political conflicts and create a new political environment where the government and the opposition could work together if it was for the public interest.

“We’re willing to join hands with every party, whether it is the opposition or independent. There’s only one issue, the lese majeste law, that will be left untouched,” he said.

When asked about the prospect of the UTN or the PPRP being part of the coalition, he said: “I’ve made it clear that we’re ready to talk with every party. There is no camp, no uncles. We want cooperation. The best way is to set up a government to tackle the problems and materialise the people’s will.”

He said none of the parties approached by Pheu Thai rejected the prospect of joining the coalition, but they wanted to see the details first.

Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew on Wednesday announced that the Pheu Thai-Bhumjaithai alliance was joined by six more parties — Prachachat, Chartpattanakla, Seri Ruam Thai, Plung Sungkom Mai, Thongthee Thai and Pheu Thai Ruam Palang.

Dr Cholnan also said the coalition had sufficient MPs to reach the simple majority but refused to give details. “To solve the crisis we must dissolve political polarisation and secure support from all parties and groups to set up the government with Pheu Thai as the core party. This is the country agenda,” he said.

Dr Cholnan said Pheu Thai was seeking support from individual MPs and parties when asked if individual MPs would join a Pheu Thai-led government.

Asked how the government could be formed if the UTN and the PPRP did not join, Mr Phumtham said the party was trying to lure support from parties and individual MPs.

“I can’t be more specific but behind the scenes we’ve discussed it. We want a stable government that can push policies.

“We really hope that the senators and MPs will exercise judgement to help us resolve the crisis,” he said.

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a UTN deputy leader, said if the party was to join the coalition it should as a whole party.

However, he stressed that the UTN had not made a decision. It was also reported that 21 Democrat MPs would support Pheu Thai’s candidate.

NARATHIWAT: The Social Security Office (SSO) has been ordered to compensate victims of the July 29 fireworks warehouse explosion in Sungai Kolok district, which killed 12 people, injured 121 and damaged 292 houses in tambon Muno.

Out of the 121 people hurt in the incident, nine reported moderate injuries while one person was severely injured. As of yesterday, 101 have been discharged from hospital.

SSO secretary-general Boonsong Thapchaiyut said the SSO will distribute compensation to survivors, and other benefits owed to those who were killed to their next of kin.

He assured the fund would compensate all subscribers affected by the blast and their registered dependants, though he stopped short of saying how much the SSO will have to spend on the compensation.

Narathiwat’s SSO branch began distributing compensation to victims’ families yesterday, with SSO inspector Sakdinat Sonthisakyothin and acting director-general of the province’s SSO presenting 1.142 million baht to the family of Hafiz Abdullah, one of the 12 people killed by the blast.

The fund would cover Hafiz’s funeral expenses, which came up to 50,000 baht. The rest was meant for his descendants.

The Praboromarajchanok Institute (PI), under the Ministry of Public Health, is planning to establish a faculty of medicine to address a national shortage of doctors and nurses.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday said after meeting the ministry’s executive officials that the PI has proposed its policy to boost medical personnel numbers.

The policy will also aim to provide comprehensive health care services in villages and tambon promotion hospitals to mitigate patient congestion at bigger hospitals.

Doctors and nurses will also help train health volunteers as practical nurses in each tambon and local area. The PI’s faculty of medicine will help develop other public health personnel in the future, Mr Anutin said.

Meanwhile, Dr Soranit Siltharm, subcommittee chairman with the Consortium of Thai Medical Schools (CTMS), said the 18 institutes under the CTMS are ready for an intake of a total of 2,380 new students in medicine, dental surgery, veterinary medicine and pharmacy programmes next year.

Dr Soranit said the criteria for applicants remains the same but the CTMS has allowed students who graduated from other fields outside science to enrol in the doctor of dental surgery programme.

The exam registration for CTMS’ Thailand Professional Aptitude Test 1 will open from Sept 1-20 for an 800 baht fee.

The exam will take place on Dec 16.

Dr Soranit said the doctor shortage stems from a distribution problem, as most doctors are in the city.

He said recruiting more doctors is not a solution as the number of students accepted into medical programmes is calculated with the proportion of the population in mind.

The Pheu Thai, Move Forward (MFP) and Palang Pracharath (PPRP) parties have been spared the prospect of forcible dissolution as the Election Commission (EC) dismissed three petitions seeking this due to their alleged violation of the law, a source said yesterday.

EC secretary-general Sawang Boonmee, in his capacity as the EC’s political registrar, has decided to halt the investigation related to a petition calling for their dissolution filed by Sonthiya Sawasdee, a former adviser to the House committee on law, justice and human rights.

Mr Sonthiya accused Pheu Thai of allowing former prime minister — and ex-party leader — Thaksin Shinawatra to gain control over the party. Thaksin is considered an outsider under the organic law on political parties, which prohibits a party from being knowingly influenced by such a figure.

Mr Sonthiya cited various events he believed to be evidence of the party’s willingness to be politically influenced by Thaksin, including a speech made to its supporters during an election event by Paetongtarn Shinawatra during which she made it clear that Pheu Thai aimed to win the May 14 election so it could then bring Thaksin home. Thaksin has since given a date for his return, but postponed it.

Ms Paetorntarn is the party’s chief adviser on public participation and innovation, one of its three prime ministerial candidates, and Thaksin’s daughter. Her trip to meet her father and aunt — Yingluck Shinawatra, another fugitive former prime minister and Thaksin’s younger sister — in Hong Kong late last year was also cited by Mr Sonthiya as evidence of Pheu Thai’s alleged misconduct.

But Mr Sawang found the evidence insufficient to convince him Pheu Thai had violated the organic law, the source said.

Another petition filed by Mr Sonthiya against the MFP for “provoking unrest” with its rallies was also rejected by Mr Sawang, the source added.

Mr Sawang also dismissed a petition by political activist Ekachai Hongkangwan that was seeking to dissolve the PPRP for failing to implement all of its key policies.

A United Thai Nation (UTN) Party MP has slammed the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) for its late compensation plan, which has left victims of an elevated road project that collapsed helpless for almost a month.

Kriangyos Sudlabha submitted a motion for a general debate yesterday during a House sitting about the compensation plan for victims affected by the July 11 incident.

None of the 57 victims have been guaranteed compensation even though the BMA said this would be secured within seven days of the road collapsing, Mr Kriangyos said.

Two of the victims have since died and seven have been discharged from hospital. Many have filed complaints with the UTN’s office in Lat Krabang district, demanding updates on when and whether they will receive any money, he said.

Mr Kriangyos said the BMA had disclosed it must negotiate with the contractor and the insurance company before it can finalise a compensation plan.

Meanwhile, deputy Bangkok governor Wisanu Subsompon said during a press briefing at City Hall that the contractor proposed a revised construction plan to the Bureau of Public Works on Aug 3.

The contractor will remove any damaged parts of the road by the end of this month, he said.

He added police and the Engineering Institute of Thailand are investigating the cause of the collapse.

However, the contractor will cast concrete poles at its factory instead of using cast-in-situ concrete, resulting in smaller construction sites and more lanes for traffic use.

Lat Krabang district chief Chatchaya Khamchan said the district office has received reports from victims and forwarded these to the Bureau of Public Works, which oversees the elevated road project.

The bureau will work with the insurance company to finalise the compensation plan, Mr Chatchaya added.