Jaruvan loses bid to return as auditor-general
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Former auditor-general Jaruvan Maintaka was defeated in her attempt to regain office after the Constitution Court ruled that she has already reached her mandatory retirement age of 65.
Jaruvan argued that after the 2006 coup, she concurrently held the post of auditor-general and that of a member of the State Audit Board, which oversees the Office of the Auditor-General.
Under relevant laws, board members are not obliged to retire.
However, the high court ruled that the key issue to the case was related to Jaruvan’s mandate as auditor-general, and since she had retired in 2010, she was no longer authorised to continue in the job regardless of her other appointments.
In a related development, the House cast 389 votes to pass the first reading of the draft legislation on state auditing. This legislation was drafted in conformation with the 2007 Constitution in order to facilitate the works of two independent entities – the Office of the Auditor-General and the State Auditing Board.
The draft, co-sponsored by the Auditor-General and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, will be vetted by the House committee as the main document, while the Pheu Thai-sponsored bill will be seen as an auxiliary version.
