Sukhumbhand's Appeal Court ruling due on Friday
The Court of Appeals will deliver its verdict on Friday on whether to overturn the Election Commission (EC)'s yellow-card decision against incumbent Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra
The governor has been suspended since March. A source close to Sukhumbhand said yesterday that they were hopeful of a positive ruling.
After talks with lawyers and members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the source said they were confident that the court would overturn the yellow-card decision, and a large number of Sukhumbhand’s supporters would gather outside the court at 9.30am.
Sukhumbhand’s lawyer Sak Korsaengreung refused to comment yesterday, saying he would rather wait till Friday.
Sukhumbhand was suspended as governor by the EC, which alleged he unfairly won the city election on March 3, 2013 because he was helped by a smear campaign launched by Democrat Party members against rival candidates, especially Pheu Thai Party’s Pongsapat Pongcharoen, which violated the electoral law.
If the court upholds the EC’s decision to hold a new election, organising it may breach interim rules by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
The NCPO’s 85th announcement in July suspended all local elections and said vacant seats on local councils should be filled via a selection process.
