By Thai Newsroom Reporters
BHUMJAITHAI PARTY leader Anutin Charnvirakul today (Oct. 18) shrugged off a reported plan of the opposition bloc to file an unprecedented lawsuit against the second-largest coalition party over their free-marijuana campaign.
Anutin who concurrently performs as deputy prime minister-cum-public health minister contended that his party’s electoral campaign to legalise the medical use and household production of marijuana nationwide had been approved by the Election Commission before it was propagated during the 2019 general election, thus refuting allegations that it had been carried out in violation of the relevant law as charged by Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew.
The Bhumjaithai campaign to promote the medical use and household production of marijuana had also been declared at parliament as part of the current government’s policies following the previous general election, Anutin said.
His comments closely followed the Pheu Thai-led opposition bloc’s reported plan to file an unprecedented lawsuit against the Bhumjaithai Party, de facto led by Newin Chidchob, for allegedly breaching the Political Party Act by having evidently propagated their free-marijuana campaign to prompt many constituents nationwide to pick contestants running for MP either on constituency-based or party-listed mode under the tickets of his party in the previous election.
If found guilty as charged, Newin’s party which has already drawn defection of a dozen MPs from other camps with many more to follow during a run-up to the next general election could possibly be dissolved by court.
The Bhumjaithai Party is largely speculated to become an archrival of the Pheu Thai Party in the nationwide race to parliament with the latter repeatedly bragging about a speculated “landslide” victory which would create the opportunity for the largest opposition camp to set up a post-election government of their own.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Public Health Minister-cum-Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, right, and Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew, left. Composite photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Marijuana plant. Photo: INN News
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