Govt lawmakers seek Abhisit, MP's impeachment

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok led a group of Pheu Thai MPs in submitting their written request to House of Representatives Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranond. The MPs urged Somsak, who is also their party colleague, to seek a Constitutional Court ruling terminating the MP status of Democrat leader Abhisit and Warong Dejkitwikorn, Democrat MP for Phitsanulok.

The Pheu Thai politicians accused Abhisit and Warong of abusing their MP status by pressuring the Phitsanulok governor to give them 500 bags of relief items from the Energy Ministry to be distributed to flood victims selected by them.

“Abhisit and Warong wanted the relief items to be distributed the way they and the Democrat Party saw fit, which was not in line with the authorities’ assistance plan. Their act is against the Constitution,” Pracha said.

Pracha, who also serves as director of the government’s Flood Relief Operations Centre, was recently grilled in a censure debate. 

He was assailed by Democrat MPs, who accused him of condoning irregularities regarding the government’s procurement of relief items for flood victims, among other allegations. 

Somsak said yesterday he would study the Pheu Thai MPs’ petition and determine when to refer the matter to the Constitutional Court.

“I will follow the framework set by the Constitution and the relevant laws. There is no double standard,” he said.

Regarding an earlier petition by Democrat MPs against eight Pheu Thai MPs accused of irregularities regarding procurement of flood-relief supplies, Somsak said he had not seen that petition, which was submitted to House Deputy Speaker Charoen Jankomol while Somsak was away.

“I think the petition filed with Charoen is in the process of being examined. There is no reason the two petitions have to be forwarded to the Constitutional Court at the same time,” Somsak said.

The Democrat MPs submitted their impeachment petition against the Pheu Thai MPs during the censure debate against Pracha late last month.

When asked about another case in which the Election Commission decided to seek a Constitutional Court ruling on whether Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan lost his MP status for failing to cast his ballot in the last elections, Somsak said he had not received any request from the EC to forward the matter to the court. “I hear that they want one month [to consider the matter],” the House speaker said.