Thammasat student council condemns PM vote
The Thammasat University Student Council issued a statement condemning Thursday’s vote for a new prime minister, saying that members of parliament and senators who voted against the will of the people or abstained from voting were disgraceful.
The council’s Standing Committee on Politics and Democracy Promotion made the condemnation following the vote in a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat failed in his bid to become the country’s 30th prime minister after he was unable to secure the required endorsement of half of the parliamentarians. The MFP had won the May 14 general election with 151 House seats.
The final tally was 324 in favour, 182 against and 199 abstentions among the 705 members attending the meeting. Mr Pita, who was the sole nominee for the post, needed 375 votes from the combined 749 House and Senate seats. A senator had resigned on Wednesday, a day before the vote took place.
The MFP leader received 311 votes in favour from MPs and 148 against, with 39 abstentions. He received just 13 votes in favour from senators, 34 against and 159 abstentions.
The university council’s committee said the MPs and senators who voted against and abstaned had acted against the people’s will, as expressed through the May 14 general election. The MFP had won the election with 151 House seats, and its leader received the people’s mandate to be the next prime minister.
“Your action is disgusting and disgraceful to the constitutional monarchy system and the country’s political history. You ignore your roles as being representatives of Thai people who are duty-bound to perform tasks for the benefits of the nation and people’s well-being,” said the standing committee, which criticised MPs and senators who voted against Mr Pita and those who abstained their votes.
The committee called on MPs and appointed senators to respect people’s votes.
“Children in the nation development era will lead the country for prosperity but senators will lead the county to disaster,” read the statement.
Many MFP supporters expressed disappointment with Thursday’s vote but said the results were not unexpected. They urged appointed senators to respect their votes.
Supporters sit at the government complex in the Kiakkai area as they eagerly wait for the result of the prime ministerial voting on Thursday. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpatarasill)
Prior to the joint sitting, hundreds of MFP supporters gathered at a designated spot near the parliament to show their support for the MFP leader.
The gathering area can accommodate up to about 300 people at a time, said Rujira Arin, chief of the Dusit District office.
The 710-square-metre area, set one lane of a road and some walkways of the Kiak Kai government centre, was designated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) for MFP supporters, said deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek.
The Kiak Kai government centre is situated across the parliament complex.
Amarat Chokepamitkul, member of the MFP’s board, was seen at the gathering to observe Thursday’s vote.
The BMA also worked with the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) to ensure law and order, Ms Rachada said.
In addition, the MBP had issued an order prohibiting public gatherings within a 50-metre radius of the parliament complex, effective from 6am on Wednesday to midnight Friday, said Ms Rachada.
The order was signed by the MPB chief, under the 2015 Public Gatherings Act, she said.
She said traffic in the area was being rerouted to accommodate the gathering of MFP supporters, while several police officers were deployed in the area.
Move Forward Party MPs show up at a gathering venue outside parliament to thank people for their support to party leader Pita Limjaroenrat on Thursday’s voting for a prime minister. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was aware of people’s right to express their political views and observe the parliamentary process, she said.
Gen Prayut also called on MFP supporters to obey the law and refrain from violence and conflict and emphasised the need for security officials to follow crowd control rules based on international standards, she said.
Just before the start of the parliamentary vote at around 3pm, a male teenager caused a commotion at the designated rally area. The teenager, seemingly an MFP supporter, smashed a poster in the gathering area, leading to an assault by another individual. The teenager was eventually rescued by Ngoentra Khamsaen, 44, who stated that it was a misunderstanding.
Singapore’s economy grew 0.7% in Q2, faster than 0.4% in previous quarter: Advance estimates
The construction sector grew by 6.6 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, extending the 6.9 per cent growth in the first quarter. Growth was supported by expansions in both public and private sector construction output. On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the sector expanded by 2.6 per cent in theContinue Reading
Singapore’s economy grew 0.7% in Q2, faster than previous quarter: Advance estimates
The construction sector grew by 6.6 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, extending the 6.9 per cent growth in the first quarter. Growth was supported by expansions in both public and private sector construction output.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the sector expanded by 2.6 per cent in the second quarter, accelerating from the 0.3 per cent growth in the preceding quarter.
Among the services sectors, the wholesale and retail trade as well as transportation and storage sectors collectively grew by 2.6 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, a turnaround from the 0.7 per cent contraction in the previous quarter.
All sectors within the group expanded during the quarter.
“Growth in the transportation and storage sector was mainly supported by the water and air transport segments, while that in the wholesale trade sector was driven by the machinery, equipment and supplies, and fuels and chemicals segments,” said MTI.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the sectors as a group expanded by 3.4 per cent in the second quarter, rebounding from the 0.5 per cent contraction in the preceding quarter.
The group of sectors comprising the information and communications, finance and insurance, as well as professional services sectors, grew by 1.5 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, extending the 1.3 per cent growth in the previous quarter.
Within the group, all sectors except for the finance and insurance sector expanded during the second quarter.
The finance and insurance sector contracted on account of the weak performance of the insurance and banking segments.
The remaining group of services sectors – accommodation and food services, real estate, administrative and support services, and other services sectors – grew by 6.1 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, extending the 7.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter.
All sectors within the group expanded during the quarter. The accommodation sector saw robust growth in tandem with the strong recovery in international visitor arrivals, said MTI.
Election Commission defends decision to ‘rush’ Pita case
The Election Commission (EC) insisted on Thursday it had strictly followed the law when deciding to forward Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s ineligibility case to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.
The poll regulator was responding to criticism by Mr Pita and other critics that the EC had failed to allow him to defend himself against the allegation before it submitted the case to the court and wrapped up the investigation in haste.
In a statement, the EC said the case deals with Mr Pita’s MP status, which is believed and supported by evidence to have come to an end as a result of a certain factor listed as one of the reasons why an MP’s status is deemed to no longer be valid.
Those who have made the aforementioned criticism against the EC may misunderstand that the case forwarded to the court dealt with an alleged violation of the organic laws on elections and political parties as they expected the EC — under these two specific laws and its own regulations — to investigate the case and conclude first whether the allegation is credible before considering forwarding the case to the court, the EC said.
The truth is the EC has strictly followed Section 82 of the constitution, which authorises it to immediately seek a decision by the Constitutional Court on an ineligibility case in which the EC is convinced by evidence that an MP’s status has become invalid due to a reason stated in the constitution, it added.
Citing two previous rulings by the court handed down in 2019 regarding the court procedures for processing a Section 82 case, the EC said it is not required to summon Mr Pita to answer his charge or defend against it as he will be defending himself in court.
The EC also insisted it had examined Mr Pita’s ineligibility case thoroughly and based its decision to forward the case to the court on facts and evidence compiled and examined during the past fact-finding investigation.
“The EC isn’t in a position to make the final judgement as to whose MP status becomes invalid because of what reason. And it hasn’t rushed (Mr Pita’s case) as accused,” the EC statement read.
EC defends decision to ‘rush’ Pita case
The Election Commission (EC) insisted on Thursday it had strictly followed the law when deciding to forward Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s ineligibility case to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.
The poll regulator was responding to criticism by Mr Pita and other critics that the EC had failed to allow him to defend himself against the allegation before it submitted the case to the court and wrapped up the investigation in haste.
In a statement, the EC said the case deals with Mr Pita’s MP status, which is believed and supported by evidence to have come to an end as a result of a certain factor listed as one of the reasons why an MP’s status is deemed to no longer be valid.
Those who have made the aforementioned criticism against the EC may misunderstand that the case forwarded to the court dealt with an alleged violation of the organic laws on elections and political parties as they expected the EC — under these two specific laws and its own regulations — to investigate the case and conclude first whether the allegation is credible before considering forwarding the case to the court, the EC said.
The truth is the EC has strictly followed Section 82 of the constitution, which authorises it to immediately seek a decision by the Constitutional Court on an ineligibility case in which the EC is convinced by evidence that an MP’s status has become invalid due to a reason stated in the constitution, it added.
Citing two previous rulings by the court handed down in 2019 regarding the court procedures for processing a Section 82 case, the EC said it is not required to summon Mr Pita to answer his charge or defend against it as he will be defending himself in court.
The EC also insisted it had examined Mr Pita’s ineligibility case thoroughly and based its decision to forward the case to the court on facts and evidence compiled and examined during the past fact-finding investigation.
“The EC isn’t in a position to make the final judgement as to whose MP status becomes invalid because of what reason. And it hasn’t rushed (Mr Pita’s case) as accused,” the EC statement read.
Support call for special needs kids
A Bangkok councillor for Lat Krabang district yesterday filed a motion asking the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) council to improve its education system to support children with special needs.
Surajit Pongsingwittaya, a Pheu Thai councillor for Lat Krabang district, said data from the Mental Health Department showed that students between the ages of 6 and 15 who got poor grades often had learning problems or disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity or autism.
Students with such difficulties need to be supervised by trained education teachers, Mr Surajit said.
Currently, the BMA oversees 437 schools, 158 offering special education with 362 specialised staff teaching 4,213 students with learning disabilities.
But schools need another 340 trained specialised teachers, he said.
In addition, more students with learning disabilities did not enrol in schools because they could not find schools offering special education near their homes.
Many of these students have never been evaluated to see if they have learning disabilities, so when they study in the same class with other students, their learning capabilities worsen, Mr Surajit said.
To address this, he said, each school under BMA must have a system to classify students with special needs, and all 437 schools must have suitably trained teachers to help them.
Mr Surajit said there must be a system to identify kids with learning disabilities when they are young or enrolled in kindergarten.
The motion — which got support from council members — also called on the BMA to develop a plan and provide proper payment for speciality teachers and apply technology to assist with the education needs of special needs children.
DSI sets Interpol on ex-Stark boss
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Stark Corp’s former chairman Chanin Yensudchai who is accused of financial misconduct.
DSI spokeswoman Pichaya Tarakornsanti said the DSI alerted Interpol after Mr Chanin failed to report to the DSI to acknowledge charges concerning irregularities in Stark’s financial statements.
Mr Chanin is among 10 people accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of producing false statements for Stark and affiliates during 2021 and 2022 to deceive others and obtain their assets.
Stark minority shareholders and bondholders have also filed complaints with the DSI against eight individuals and entities for alleged fraud and money laundering at the debtridden wire and cable maker.
Ms Pichaya said Stark’s former chief financial officer, Sathar Chantrasettalead, and his secretary, Yosboworn Amarit, are expected to meet DSI investigators to answer the charges next week.
She said the DSI is also tracing the remaining assets of those allegedly involved in falsifying accounts and will hand them over to the Anti-Money Laundering Office for further action.
The agency has already seized over 100 million baht in assets from Stark Corp.
She said the DSI has confiscated two luxury cars belonging to Mr Chanin and is examining two others owned by his close aides to determine if they were unlawfully acquired.
The scandal came to light after the firm failed to submit its financial statements in time as required by law.
According to the SEC, the alleged financial misconduct affected a large number of people, with damages from Stark’s debts estimated at more than 38 billion baht.
Divided Asean grapples to find united stance on Myanmar
JAKARTA: Asean foreign ministers were still working for a united position on the Myanmar crisis yesterday, a day after the bloc’s ministerial meeting ended.
Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February 2021, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent.
Asean chair Indonesia on Wednesday urged a political solution to the crisis at two-day foreign minister talks.
But more than two years after the coup, the divided 10-member bloc’s peace efforts remain fruitless, as the junta ignores international criticism and refuses to engage with its opponents.
As of yesterday, ministers had still not reached agreement on a communique.
A Southeast Asian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a joint text was still being worked out and would come later in the day.
They would not comment on why the final document was taking so long, but an early draft seen by AFP on Tuesday left a section on Myanmar blank as the group wrangled over its contents and wording.
Thailand has launched a separate track to Asean efforts, speaking directly with the junta and other actors in the conflict.
Last month Bangkok hosted the junta’s foreign minister for controversial “informal talks” that further split the bloc.
Then on Wednesday, on the second day of Asean talks, Thailand’s top diplomat announced he met last week with
Suu Kyi — who has been detained since the coup, and jailed by a junta court for a total of 33 years.
Don Pramudwinai said he met the Nobel laureate on Sunday in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw and said she was in “good health” and “encouraged dialogue”.
Indonesia has said any other efforts must support Asean’s existing five-point peace plan to end the violence and renew talks.
The diplomat said Asean members would support Thailand’s initiative, “provided it served the purpose of complementing the chair’s role”.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Jakarta had engaged in “quiet diplomacy” with all sides of the conflict.
MFP leader vows to gather more backers
Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat yesterday failed to gather enough support in parliament in his nomination to become the country’s 30th prime minister.
Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat yesterday failed to gather enough support in parliament in his nomination to become the country’s 30th prime minister.
However, Mr Pita refused to buckle, saying he would try to gather the required support before a second round of voting expected to take place on Wednesday.
He also insisted that the party would press ahead with its plan to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, which was cited as the main reason why several senators refused to back his nomination.
“I accept [the outcome], but I won’t give up,” Mr Pita said. “I will find strategies to gather enough support in the next round of voting.”
“I will also press on with amending Section 112 as I have promised,” he said.
A total of 324 MPs and senators vote in his favour yesterday, with 182 against and 199 abstentions.
The voting took place after a joint sitting of MPs and senators spent six hours debating on the qualifications of Mr Pita, MFP’s sole prime minister candidate.
The session saw 705 out of 749 parliamentarians confirming their attendance for the vote, inducing 216 senators.
Mr Pita needed 375 votes — a simple majority of 749 combined House and Senate seats — to win the office.
Before the vote, parliamentarians challenged Mr Pita over his party’s plan to amend Section 112 and questioned his past holding of iTV shares.
Most speakers who opposed Mr Pita’s nomination took aim at Move Forward’s plan to amend Section 112.
Chada Thaiset, a Bhumjaithai MP for Uthai Thani, said that any change made to Section 112 would cause unrest.
“If you let people insult the monarchy […] our country will burn,” Mr Chada said. “How about I propose a law allowing people to shoot those insulting the monarchy?”
He said that apart from the MFP, the other seven coalition allies do not support changing Section 112.
Mr Pita has always insisted that his party would propose amending Section 112. The proposal is not in the MoU between the eight-party coalition.
United Thai Nation (UTN) MP Wittaya Kaewparadai said the MFP has disrupted Thai politics because no party had ever proposed changing the lese majeste law.
“At the present, 10 political parties in the House, seven MFP coalition allies and most senators do not support changing Section 112,” Mr Wittaya said. “This is a political abnormality. Only one party proposes [a change] while no other parties ever think about it.”
Satra Sripan, a UTN MP for Songkhla, said amending Section 112 would cause division and hatred in society.
Sen Khamnoon Sitthisamarn noted that the MFP proposal to amend the lese majeste law aimed either at reducing jail terms or even lifting the punishments for those convicted of offending the royal institution.
Sen Praphan Koonmee told the joint sitting that Mr Pita was unqualified to serve because of his past holding of 42,000 shares in the broadcaster iTV Plc.
The constitution prohibits a stakeholder in a media organisation from running in a general election.
Mr Praphan warned parliamentarians that if they voted for an unqualified person, they could be considered as performing their duties or exercising their authority in an unconstitutional manner.
During the debate, Mr Pita told parliamentarians that he qualified for the premiership, adding he had never been officially informed about questions related to his MP qualifications.
He was referring to the Election Commission, which asked the Constitutional Court to rule on his eligibility in light of the iTV shareholding scandal.
Earlier, Mr Pita complained that the EC had never informed him of its doubts or invited him to defend himself.
Pita fails to secure support
EC defends move to ‘rush’ Pita case
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday insisted it had strictly followed the law when deciding to forward Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s ineligibility case to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.
The poll regulator was responding to criticism by Mr Pita and other critics that the EC had failed to allow him to defend himself against the allegation before it submitted the case to the court and wrapped up the investigation in haste.
Supporters sit at the government complex in the Kiakkai area as they eagerly wait for the result of the prime ministerial election. (Photo: chanat Katanyu)
In a statement, the EC said the case deals with Mr Pita’s MP status, which is believed and supported by evidence to have come to an end as a result of a certain factor listed as one of the reasons why an MP’s status is deemed to no longer be valid.
Those who have made the aforementioned criticism against the EC may misunderstand that the case forwarded to the court dealt with an alleged violation of the organic laws on elections and political parties as they expected the EC — under these two specific laws and its own regulations — to investigate the case and conclude first whether the allegation is credible before considering forwarding the case to the court, the EC said.
The truth is the EC has strictly followed Section 82 of the constitution, which authorises it to immediately seek a decision by the Constitutional Court on an ineligibility case in which the EC is convinced by evidence that an MP’s status has become invalid due to a reason stated in the constitution, it added.
Citing two previous rulings by the court handed down in 2019 regarding the court procedures for processing a Section 82 case, the EC said it is not required to summon Mr Pita to answer his charge or defend against it as he will be defending himself in court.
The EC also insisted it had examined Mr Pita’s ineligibility case thoroughly and based its decision to forward the case to the court on facts and evidence compiled and examined during the past fact-finding investigation.
“The EC isn’t in a position to make the final judgement as to whose MP status becomes invalid because of what reason. And it hasn’t rushed (Mr
Pita’s case) as accused,” the EC statement read.