Democrats threaten legal action if Speaker blocks censure, impeachment moves

MP Wiratana Kalayasiri said the Democrats had submitted the censure debate and impeachment motion in the same manner as they had on Friday. Somsak’s condition that the Democrats must submit documents to justify their attack is seen as a tactic to snoop into the opposition’s information.

The Democrats on Friday submitted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan for alleged mismanagement and abuse of power.

However, Somsak said the opposition had failed to submit accompanying documents to support the impeachment move and allegations related to graft. He said he would consult his legal team before tabling the censure motion and authorising the debate.

“The opposition insists that it cannot hand out the documents to the House Speaker although he has the authority to consider putting the motion on parliamentary agenda. He cannot just use his power any way he wants or follow [someone’s] order. He must face legal action in those cases. The Democrats will sign to impeach him and take measures against him as allowed by the law,” Wiratana said.

MP Warong Dechgitvigrom said his scrutiny of the government’s rice-pledging scheme would be able to bring about a change in the government. 

“I have scrutinised corruption in the rice-pledging scheme in censure debates all along, but the government has not come up with any solution,” he said. “During this time, we can see that society has been much aware [of the corruption problems]. I believe that this debate, accompanied by pressure from many sectors of society, would bring about a change in the government,” he said.

Meanwhile, House of Representatives secretary-general Suwichag Nakwatcharachai has scheduled a meeting of House legal experts tomorrow to discuss whether the opposition can be allowed to scrutinise Yingluck and Charupong over allegations of corruption if they do not submit details of the allegations with the request.

“After the Democrats submitted the motion to House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, it is deemed that Somsak has received the motion. The next step is to verify the [MPs’] signatures and documents. If they are not complete, we will inform them to fix it, and if they are complete, the motion can be put on the House agenda,” a House source, who asked not to be named, said.

Government whip chief Aumnuay Khlangpha earlier said the censure debate might take place from November 22-24.

In 2012, the opposition filed a censure motion against Yingluck and the then Cabinet members. The details of the allegations were submitted to the ad hoc committee to verify documents before the censure debate was started.

In a separate development, anti-government protesters led by former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday started gathering people’s signatures at their rally site at Democracy Monument to start impeachment proceedings against 310 MPs who had voted to pass the blanket amnesty bill. 

Another protest group, the Students and People’s Network for Thailand’s Reform, yesterday marched to pin national flags along the border of the Internal Security Act-imposed area near their rally site at Makkhawan Bridge.

At some points, they were blocked by police but later allowed to pass. A police officer was slightly injured, though.

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, Pheu Thai deputy spokesperson, yesterday ruled out the possibility of a House dissolution or Cabinet reshuffle, saying the Pheu Thai-led government will continue to administrate the country. 

The government will dissolve the House only if there is conflict between the executive branch and the legislative branch. He said currently there is no such conflict. 

“Even if all of the opposition Democrat MPs resign, the House [of Representatives] will be able to go on,” he said.

“Both solutions are not an option now. And it has nothing to do with the ongoing anti-government rally at Rajdamnoen,” he said.