Somsak and Nikom may escape impeachment
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Though NLA accepted motion, many members likely to vote against it
There is only a slim chance for the former Parliament president and his ex-deputy to be actually impeached by the National Legislative Assembly despite its decision yesterday to accept for consideration a motion against them, some assembly members predict.
The assembly is expected to start its hearing on the charges against former Parliament president Somsak Kiatsuranont and his former deputy Nikom Wairatpanij on November 24 and 25, NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said.
In a closed-door meeting that dragged on for more than three hours, the 177 NLA members present voted 87-75 to accept the impeachment petition filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
There were 15 abstentions in the secret balloting.
Somsak is also the former House of Representatives Speaker and Nikom the former Senate Speaker.
NLA sources said they did not think Somsak or Nikom would end up being impeached. One said it was unlikely that the 75 assembly members who voted against accepting the impeachment case for deliberation would vote to impeach the pair.
Support from at least three-fifths of the NLA, or 132 votes, is required to impeach a political officeholder.
“If this is combined with the 15 NLA members who abstained, it is clear what the result will be,” said the source on condition of anonymity.
Another source agreed. “I can say with confidence that there will be no impeachment. There are still a lot of undercurrents, and national reconciliation is still the goal to be achieved,” said the source, who also asked not to be named.
Nikom said he would testify on his own before the NLA on November 25. He would present videos of the parliamentary meetings in question as evidence to support his case.
The NLA members who took to the floor during the meeting were split as to whether an impeachment move should continue against Somsak and Nikom, according to NLA member Jetn Siratharanont, the whip spokesman.
One side viewed that the claimed offence and the penalty of impeachment were inscribed in the Constitution of 2007, which was abolished by the coup makers, so the impeachment case should be dropped.
The other side countered that there were still laws that could be applied in this situation, such as the anti-corruption law.
The consideration of the case is expected to take 30-45 days before the NLA rules on the impeachment issue, Jetn said.
The meeting resolved to call a secret vote because the NLA members wanted to avoid possible legal action by a third party. Unlike parliamentarians, the appointed NLA members have no legal immunity, he said.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he expected any move by the NLA to impeach former elected officials to lead to problems. The issue is sensitive and requires careful treatment, he said.
Many people would not accept punishment handed down by an unelected legislature, while others were pushing for the NLA to ensure that the law is strictly followed, he said.
Amnuay Klangpha, a former Pheu Thai MP, said he was not disturbed about the impeachment issue, but he did not want to see a new round of political conflict.
Former Democrat MP Thaworn Senneam praised the NLA members for “doing their job as the legislative assembly”.
