Sukhumbhand 'confident' of favourable court ruling
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Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra is confident of victory when the Court of Appeals rules today on whether he violated the election law by engaging in mudslinging against the rival candidate, the governor's spokesman Wasant Meewong said yesterday.
Wasant said Sukhumbhand was confident that the evidence he had presented to the court carried enough weight for him to win the lawsuit filed against him by the Election Commission (EC). The EC had ruled 3-2 to yellow-card the governor.
Wasant said Sukhumbhand and all of his management team would attend the hearing today.
Sukhumbhand’s legal team had looked at past court records and found that most past suits similar to that filed against the governor had been dropped. Wasant refused to comment on reports the court may this time rule in favour of the EC in order to set high standards for future local and national elections.
A source said that if the court found the governor guilty of mudslinging during the campaign, and a new gubernatorial election is called, not only Sukhumbhand but all his deputies, advisers, secretaries and the city administration spokesman must step down.
Article 54 of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Directives 1985 stipulates that if the Bangkok governor steps down due to reasons other than completing the full term, the Bangkok City Clerk will replace the outgoing governor. If the City Clerk cannot perform the duty, the Interior Minister will appoint a deputy Bangkok city clerk or another senior city official to replace the governor.
