Leena gets 5-year ban for breaking electoral law
FORMER SENATE candidate Leena "Leena Jung" Jungjanja has received a five-year ban from politics after the Supreme Court's Election Division found her guilty of violating an election law during the Senate election in 2013.
The court read a verdict in a case in which the Election Commission sought an order to curb Leena’s electoral rights for violating provisions 111, 112 and 113 of the Election of MPs and Senators Act 2007.
Leena violated the law by erecting election campaign signs across Bangkok that said “Get PTT back to Thais, use benzene Bt20 per litre, Leena Jung, number 3 Senate candidate”.
The judges said senators do not have the responsibility to decide the price of fuel. They said Leena used the reference to the petrol price to solicit votes, and thus violated provision 123 of the act.
The court said the executive branch of government has the authority to make policies on the country’s fuel or energy – not senators.
The court dismissed Leena’s testimony that her election campaign signs left out a sentence that she would “propose legislation”, saying it was her intention to do that.
It said Leena failed to provide this reason to the EC from the beginning so her testimony was deemed to be inconsistent with her earlier statements given to the EC.
Leena was not present when the court read the verdict. The ruling was posted at the court building.
