Somsak target of impeachment drive
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The Democrat Party yesterday lodged an impeachment motion against House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont for alleged bias in connection with the deliberation of the reconciliation bill on Wednesday.
Rak Prathet Thai Party leader Chuwit Kamolvisit co-signed the motion endorsed by 123 opposition MPs.
“As head of the legislative branch, Somsak has shown a lack of impartiality, which is in violation of Article 125 of the Constitution,” Democrat MP Thaworn Senneam said.
In his capacity as the spearhead of the impeachment drive, Thaworn submitted the motion to Senate Speaker Teeradej Meepien.
Acknowledging the motion, Teeradej said he would verify the motion sponsors before activating proceedings by instructing the National Anti-Corruption Commission to see whether there is cause to suspect misconduct by Somsak.
The Democrats alleged that Somsak failed to be impartial when he rushed to take two actions – designating the bill as a priority, and classifying the bill as a non-fiscal issue – thereby denying the opposition lawmakers a chance to air their views.
Instead of consulting the MPs, Somsak ruled that the amnesty called for in the bill, if granted, would have no fiscal impact on the government, even though a draft provision is designed to return Bt46 billion in seized assets to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The bill, if passed, would result in the government returning the assets, including Bt900 million belonging to Thaksin’s sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
The Democrats said Somsak turned a blind eye to the fiscal obligations imposed on the government by the bill in order to rush its passage. Should the House classify the bill as a fiscal legislation, Somsak is obliged to forward the draft for vetting by the government before commencing the deliberation,
In addition to the effort to impeach Somsak, the main opposition party plans to petition the Constitution Court to launch a review of the bill on grounds that certain draft provisions might infringe on the judiciary’s power because amnesty would be tantamount to repealing a number of verdicts.
Pheu Thai MP Paijit Sreewarakan said the House committee on legislative affairs would next week invite Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to discuss what the MP said was unruly conduct involving the Democrats.
At Wednesday’s session, Democrat MPs surrounded Somsak in a threatening manner to force him to exit the Speaker’s dais. Although the Democrats said their action was a gesture of opposition, many saw it as disrespectful and not appropriate in the House.
The House committee will try to prevent a repeat of such an incident, Paijit said.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday refused to apologise to House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranon and vowed instead to seek his impeachment.
Abhisit alleges that Somsak sided with the government and abused his authority as the chairman of the meeting at Wednesday’s House session by gagging Democrat MPs who were trying to point out serious flaws in the reconciliation bills.
