Thaksin wants us to accept ruling by court : Govt MP | The Nation / Thailand

Thaksin wants us to accept ruling by court : Govt MP | The Nation / Thailand
The Nation, July 4, 2012

After a rumour that Thaksin Shinawatra asked Pheu Thai Party not to fight if the Constitution Court objects to the charter amendment bill, a Pheu Thai MP confirmed yesterday that Thaksin wants the party to accept the court's ruling.

Udon Thani MP Kriangsak Sroisee-ngam said he met Thaksin in Dubai and the former PM said that in the principle the party should accept the Constitution Court's order. He also believed there would be no serious incident after the judgement.

"Thaksin was saying that he is not a rival [of the court] and the court hadn't put down the flag before. He believes that the court will rule [the case] fairly as amending the charter doesn't overthrow the Constitution, instead it is only a legislative duty," Kriangsak said.


In regard to the reconciliation bill, he said Thaksin said it should be postponed if society still doesn't understand it. The former PM also reiterated the objective of the bill was to bring harmony back to the country and to allow people with different ideas to find solutions together with others.


Meanwhile, an adviser to the Administrative Court has refused to be a witness at hearings on whether the government's proposed change to Section 291 is constitutional or not.


The Administrative Court issued a statement yesterday saying that court adviser Kanchanchanarat Leewiroj, whose was listed among 16 witnesses, was never contacted in advance by petitioners or the Constitution Court about being a witness before her name was given to the media. And she had no wish to become a witness.


Another "witness", National Human Rights Commissioner Paiboon Varahapaitoon, also said yesterday he was not contacted in advance and had no knowledge as to who put his name on the list. He was perplexed by the situation.


"I can confirm that I have not received any notification [from the Constitution Court] to be a witness and if it is sent to me, I must first look at the issues they want me to answer," he said.


The government is set to argue its case in court, from tomorrow. Wattana Saengpairoh, spokesman for the House Speaker, said a legal team was ready to fight a battle with the Constitution Court but no details could be revealed at this stage.


He insisted the government was only seeking to amend the charter - not to rewrite the whole thing - and that nothing in regard to the monarchy would be touched.
Many legal experts would be consulted, Wattana said.


A source at Government House said Cabinet made PM's Office Minister Worawat Auapinyakul the leader of government representatives for the court's hearing while Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit would be lead representative from Pheu Thai Party.


The source said the government had already sent extra documents, which had made officials feel confident that the court would not find the government fully guilty, though this might cause another problem. So, the government would have to sent a Cabinet meeting agenda report to confirm that the government would not amend any part of the Constitution connected to the monarchy.