Phuchong appeals to PM, amid lawsuit threats
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THE recently removed Election Commission secretary general, Phuchong Nutrawong, submitted an official appeal yesterday with the prime minister against an EC order to dismiss him from office.
He said he would sue any election commissioners who defame him.
But the EC hit back, saying it would sue Phuchong for alleged defamation after he claimed there was an irregularity involving the printing of draft copies of the constitution and ballot papers for a referendum on the previous charter draft.
Phuchong said the order to remove him was unjust and could be unlawful. He submitted his letter of appeal to an official at Government House. It was addressed to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The letter includes his account of what happened within the commission and his performance evaluation. Earlier yesterday, he submitted a similar appeal to EC president Supachai Somcharoen.
He said he was also thinking of taking his case to the Administrative Court.
Phuchong’s appeal to Supachai was received by Sawang Boonme, the commission’s deputy secretary general on political parties and referenda.
Phuchong, who had worked with the EC for 18 years, stuck to his earlier claim that his work at the EC was met with interference. He said EC members also freely allocated funds to appoint advisers and specialists, with the office shouldering up to Bt2 million per month to cover salaries.
He said there was also an abnormality in the preparation of print copies of the previous charter draft for a referendum, given there was a move to have only one printing house do the job.
He made the remark after the order to terminate his employment was issued.
“I am not doing this for myself but for the commission, the institution, and the country,” he said.
“I want to be the last person to have to encounter this. I ask that the Constitution Drafting Commission make it clear in the charter about the separation of power in the commission.”
Whether or not his failed performance evaluation had an inside story would be proven in court, Phuchong added.
Election commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn yesterday defended the printing of the previous constitution draft and the plebiscite ballots between 2005 and 2014.
He said there were 18 printings all up, six of which were done through tenders, while 10 others were done via “special means” and two treated as “special cases”.
Somchai explained that printing houses were mostly hired via “special means” because of time limitations.
A tender bid requires as many as 45 days but a new election must be conducted within 60 days of the House of Representatives being dissolved, he explained, adding that there had not been enough time for more tenders.
For the printing of copies of the previous charter draft, which was rejected by the National Reform Council in September, the printing houses were chosen through a bidding process, he said. It was transparent and involved no corruption, he said.
Somchai said the EC would sue Phuchong as his accusation had defamed the commission.
