Suthep may avoid axe in Senate vote

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has been seeking Suthep’s impeachment for allegedly violating Articles 268 and 266 of the Constitution.

As per Article 274, votes from at least three-fifths of the senators are needed to launch impeachment proceedings against Suthep. Since there are 146 senators – 76 elected and 70 appointed – 88 votes are needed to “kick” Suthep out of the political arena and keep him out for five years. The veteran politician has said he would just spend this time raising his grandchildren.

However, it may not be easy to get 88 senators to vote against Suthep, because there there are many groups with different political ideologies. 

Yet, looking back at the recent voting for the new Senate speaker, elected senators closely connected with the government camp including some appointed senators threw their weight behind Chachoengsao Senator Nikom Wairatpanit, who beat other appointed candidates by amassing 77 votes. 

So, maybe Suthep can feel a chill going down his spine.

However, electing the Senate speaker and impeaching a politician are two entirely different matters because the drive for Nikom was backed by not just elected senators, but also politicians from the government. 

It is quite difficult to get 88 out of 146 votes because some elected senators feel that the charges against Suthep were not that serious. This is especially true for elected senators from the South, which is the Democrats’ stronghold. This connection and Suthep’s influence can perhaps help him survive.

From the 70 appointed senators, about 50 were selected under the push from the Council of National Security, which is believed to support the Democrats. They have decided not to vote against Suthep.

Besides, the ruling Pheu Thai Party, which is too busy dealing with flood-related problems, has been very quiet over Suthep. Maybe they think it is not worth lobbying for votes against Suthep, because he faces many other cases in relation to the 2010 crackdown. 

The Nation has learned that about 50-65 senators think he should be impeached. An earlier estimate from the elected senators’ group was for at least 60 to vote against Suthep, but this dropped to 40. Considering this, it is unlikely that there will be enough votes to kick Suthep out. 

As for Pheu Thai, it is not afraid of a veteran politician like Suthep. What it finds formidable is the military. 

Though it looks like Suthep is going to escape impeachment, his political career will unarguably be badly scarred. 

Appointed Senator Pichet Sunthornphipit said that he had not been approached by anybody to lobby for his vote. The required three-fifths of votes is believed to be too high, but it is said to be a measure to prevent persecution. After all, the Senate is not a court. 

“I cannot say if Suthep will be impeached. But if a lot of senators think he should be impeached, and even if there are not enough votes to do so, his reputation and image will be affected. He would not be graceful as a politician and in the future, his rival party would attack him on the issue,” he said.

Nakhon Pathom Senator Somchart Pannapat also said he was surprised that no one had tried to lobby his vote, though this might be a good sign for the Senate’s independence.