Wissanu: Comprehensive complaint may result in annulled election

Wissanu: Comprehensive complaint may result in annulled election
Pita Limjaroenrat, left, leader of the election winning Move Forward Party, with Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew during their meeting with potential coalition allies at the Prachachart Party headquarters in Bangkok on Tuesday evening. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Pita Limjaroenrat, left, leader of the election winning Move Forward Party, with Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew during their meeting with potential coalition allies at the Prachachart Party headquarters in Bangkok on Tuesday evening. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

The details listed in complaints will determine if Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat is disqualified from being prime minister and whether the May general election should be annulled, according to caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

Mr Wissanu, the current cabinet’s legal guru, said at Government House on Wednesday that details in complaints against Mr Pita’s shareholding in iTV Plc were a key factor.

If a complaint targets Mr Pita’s elegibility to be an MP he could still be prime minister, because the prime minister is not required to be an MP, he said.

If a complaint targets Mr Pita’s prime ministerial qualifications, he could still be an MP, Mr Wissanu said.

“If a complaint targets both, the court will rule on both,” he said.

A complaint could also also question Mr Pita’s approval of Move Forward Party memberships, Mr Wissanu said.

“In that case, there would have to be a new nationwide general election,” he said.

Mr Wissanu said he was not giving any recommendation on how a complaint should be written.

“It is up to the complainant. The [constitutional] court will rule on the particular issue in a complaint,” he said.

The constitution prohibits a shareholder of a media organisation from running in a general election and Mr Pita’s qualifications were challenged because of his inherited shareholding in iTV Plc, which was long ago  merged into Thai PBS.

Complaints filed with the Election Commission target his MP status, his approval of Move Forward candidates in the May 14 election and the whole cabinet that he would form.

“But you should not have such a distant imagination. Consider it step by step. The Election Commission has not taken any action. Do not jump into a negative scenario,” Mr Wissanu said.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam