All eyes on court verdict on Wednesday

DESPITE mounting pressure against the government over the now-dormant bill on a blanket amnesty, political changes are unlikely to come from street protests alone. No matter how long they have dragged on, or how large they have got, such demonstrations in Thailand have never led to a change in government – at least not without intervention by an established institution such as the military.

The Constitutional Court has sometimes made rulings that led to changes in the government, such as verdicts against a ruling party or a prime minister that eventually forced their collapse.

Next Wednesday, the court is scheduled to deliver its verdict in a case filed against parliamentarians who voted for a constitutional amendment to change the Senate election system and the four coalition parties that backed that amendment. They are accused of violating the existing charter.

A guilty verdict by the court could lead to impeachment of the MPs and senators who backed the amendment, and parties in the ruling coalition could face dissolution. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is likely to be face pressure to take responsibility.

The court’s judges also face pressure from supporters of the government. A red-shirt leader Wuthipong Kachatham yesterday said that if the ruling was “unjust”, and led to dissolution of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, thousands of red shirts would protest against the Court.

The red shirts plan to gather at some locations not far from the court from Monday to Wednesday.

A group of some 200 anti-government protesters from the People’s Army to Overthrow the Thaksin Regime gathered briefly outside the Constitutional Court yesterday to offer moral support. 

In another blow to the government, the opposition Democrat Party yesterday submitted an impeachment motion against the prime minister, Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi and Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan.

The motion, sponsored by 146 Democrat MPs, was submitted to the Senate via Deputy Senate Speaker Surachai Liangboonlertchai. It alleged that the three ministers abused their authority and failed to comply with the law.

Chief opposition whip Jurin Laksanavisit led the Democrat MPs to submit the motion. He said the impeachment move would precede the opposition’s censure motion against Yingluck and her ministers.

The Democrats, led by Jurin, yesterday submitted a no-confidence motion with House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranont against the prime minister and the interior minister for alleged mismanagement and abuse of power. However, Somsak said the opposition had failed to submit accompanying documents to support its allegations. He would consult with his legal team before tabling the censure motion and authorising the debate.

Government Spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said Yingluck’s schedule for an overseas trip late this month would remain unchanged. He said the coalition whips would schedule the censure debate so that it would not coincide with the trip. “The prime minister will certainly attend the House debate,” he said.

Yingluck yesterday abruptly changed her meeting venue from the Industry Ministry to Government House – apparently out of fear of an ambush by whistle-blowing protesters. She had been scheduled to meet with permanent secretary-level officers from all ministries at the Industry Ministry at 2pm. But the Government Spokesmen’s Office sent a text message to reporters that the meeting venue had been changed to the Santi Maitree Building inside the Government House compound.

Sources said the meeting venue was changed because a group of protesters planned to ambush the prime minister by blowing their whistles in her face at the ministry, which is outside areas where the Internal Security Act is being enforced.

Former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban, who is leading a protest at the Democracy Monument, urged people to blow whistles when they met a Cabinet member as a form of civil disobedience. So far, two ministers have been ambushed by “whistle-blowers”.