By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE RUAM THAI SANG CHART could possibly be dissolved by court for allegedly making an unlawful reference to the late King Rama IX the Great during the brand-new party’s electoral campaign, according to Thai Liberal policy steersman Somchai Srisutthiyakorn.
Somchai today (Mar.3) filed a latest petition with the Election Commission in pursuit of a possible dissolution of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart, which is endorsing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s design to contest an upcoming general election to prolong his rule, following an event in which the late King Bhumibol or King Rama IX the Great was unduly mentioned and referred to during a heated campaign speech delivered to a crowd in Nakhon Ratchasima late last month.
Trairong Suwankhiri, a leading figure of the pro-Prayut party, openly mentioned by name King Rama IX the Great when he told the audience that the late monarch had had the desire to have a good person run the country and the senior politician bluntly declared that Prayut would be the one and only.
Somchai, a former election commissioner, commented that the alleged wrongdoing on the part of the senior Ruam Thai Sang Chart member could possibly lead to the dissolution of the party by the Constitutional Court under the existing law which prohibits reference of the monarchy in political affairs under any circumstances.
The Thai Liberal policy steersman said he will lodge a duty-negligence charge against Election Commission Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee if he fails to forward the latest petition against the pro-Prayut camp to the election commissioners in a seven-day time as provided by law.
Somchai had earlier called on the polling agency to take legal action against the Ruam Thai Sang Chart for allegedly recruiting villagers from the provinces to a pompous event at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in January to introduce Prayut as partisan contender for prime minister and handing out hats and shirts bearing the party’s logo to those attendees.
Nevertheless, the polling agency had already lifted his previous petition citing lack of specific evidence to substantiate it.
CAPTIONS:
Trairong Suwankhiri giving a campaign speech in Nakhon Ratchasima late last month, above, and with an image of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha inset, Front Page. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon
Insert: Thai Liberal policy steersman Somchai Srisutthiyakorn. Photo: Thai Rath
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