MOVE FORWARD leader and candidate for prime minister Pita Limjaroenrat explained that the 42,000 iTV Plc shares highlighted by a Palang Pracharath party-list candidate for MP were inherited and he is only managing them as the estate manager, TV Channel 7 said tonight (May 9).
Mr. Ruangkrai Leekitwatana, who is running as Palang Pracharath’s party-list MP, had earlier said he wanted the Election Commission to investigate Pita holding these media shares because Section 98 (3) of the Constitution prohibits a person who owns or holds shares in a newspaper or a media company from standing in an election.
However Pita said on TV Channel 7’s Big Debate programme that he was not worried about these shares as they were inherited and he is only the estate manager taking care of them.
He added that he had given the details to a legal team with the evidence being concise and that he is transparent. Moreover he had already clarified this issue to the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in 2019.
The Move Forward leader underscored he is not worried about this issue and is fully focusing on campaigning in the last few days before the general election next Sunday, May 14, 2023.
He added that he will certainly not be repeating what occurred to Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
Thanathorn was among the MPs elected in the 2019 election. One month later, the Election Commission accused him of holding shares in a media company, V-Luck Media, when he registered as an MP candidate, which would violate election laws and disqualify him as an MP, according to Wikipedia.
Thanathorn denied these charges, stating that all his shares had been transferred a month prior to his registration. On May 23, 2019, one day before the opening of the new parliament, the Constitutional Court voted unanimously to accept the case submitted by the Election Commission against Thanathorn, and voted 8-1 to suspend Thanathorn’s MP status until a ruling is reached. He was permitted to attend the opening ceremony to take his oath before being ordered to leave.
Thanathorn was nominated for prime minister by a coalition of anti-junta parties, but lost to incumbent prime minister and coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha. On November 20, the Constitutional Court convicted Thanathorn, disqualifying his MP status.
Thanathorn then founded the Progressive Movement.
CAPTIONS:
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, left, and Mr. Ruangkrai Leekitwatana, right, in above photo, and Pita on TV Channel 7’s Big Debate programme, Front Page. Top photo: Matichon, Front Page photo: TV Channel 7
Insert: Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. Photo: Matichon
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