No plans for impeachment mechanism: NLA deputy chief

He said the NLA would have to decide whether to accept the proposal by the NLA directive drafting panel to include impeachment provisions in the NLA directive bill. 

The whip included the impeachment provisions because the interim charter empowers NLA members to serve as both MP and Senator and the latter traditionally has the authority to impeach political office-holders.

Surachai was responding to reports that some complainants would seek a Constitutional Court ruling on whether the NLA directive draft violates the charter if the NLA decides to include impeachment provisions. He said complainants were entitled to seek a ruling from the court.

Surachai who chairs the NLA whip committee said three items were on the agenda for the NLA meeting tomorrow – voting on the directive draft, debating the Election Commission operation results for 2011 and deliberating on the Thai Public Broadcasting Service’s operations for 2013.

A source said the NLA whip proposed that the Assembly accept the directive draft on NLA meetings in principle in the first reading and appoint a special panel to scrutinise the draft before further debate in the second and third readings.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva warned that if there was to be an amnesty for anyone, the lawmakers should only give it to protesters and not people who violated the rights of others or those who were corrupt. “Forget about giving the latter groups amnesty because the plan to give a blanket amnesty to them brought the country to the verge of a political chaos,’’ he said.