NLA bars the broadcast of impeachment proceedings

Yingluck’s request for NBT to air the testimony was rejected by the National Legislative Assembly.
The NLA will today and tomorrow consider the impeachment motions against former Parliament president Somsak Kiatsuranon, former Parliament vice president Nikom Wairatpanich and Yingluck.
Pornpetch Wichitcholachai, president of the NLA, said meetings of the assembly were usually shown on Parliament’s TV and radio channels, so there would be no need to televise the testimony through NBT.
“NLA sessions are already open to the public,” he said.
Yingluck’s legal team had made the request on Tuesday.
“This would be a good occasion to allow a wider public to be informed about this case,” her lawyer Norawit Lalang said.
Sukhum Nualsakul, former rector of Ramkhamhaeng University, thought broadcasting Yingluck’s testimony would help the public become better informed. However, he was concerned that the programme could be influenced by the political agendas of both the accused and accuser.
Attasit Pankaew, a political-science lecturer at Thammasat University, said the testimony had already attracted a lot of public attention. Widening access to Yingluck’s trial would make it harder for the government to maintain political stability, he said.
This news story would already fill the media, so access to the information is not entirely closed.
“We should wait and see public reactions in the end,” he said.
The NLA has not decided yet whether to allow eight persons to accompany Yingluck when she testifies as demanded by her lawyer. The decision would depend on the judgement of the NLA’s members, Pornpetch said.
“There would be no problem if those who accompany Yingluck are only there to lend support to the former PM and not to be witnesses,” he said.