By Thai Newsroom Reporters
IN WHAT WAS SEEN as a quid pro quo between the Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai, a majority of a total 200 senators is anticipated to deny the naming of a prominent political scientist as judge of the Constitutional Court tomorrow (March 18), according to a partisan source.
The 100-plus, pro-Bhumjaithai senators had been allegedly quietly instructed by persons connected with the second largest coalition partner to cast nay votes to deny Siripan Nogsuann Sawasdee, the Chulalongkorn political scientist, as a new judge of the Constitutional Court, which totally consists of nine judges.
One other nominee, namely former Consular Affairs Department chief Chatri Atchananand, who has also been formally proposed as judge of the Constitutional Court, will likely be endorsed in yea votes from the pro-Bhumjaithai senators who make the majority of the senior lawmakers but the woman political scientist will likely be given nay votes as far as the pro-Bhumjaithai senators are concerned, according to the partisan source.
Siripan is largely known as a critic of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s father/de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra who had allegedly recently reached a hush-hush deal with de facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob to the extent that the Chulalongkorn political scientist be denied the post of a judge of the Constitutional Court, the source said.
Newin had quietly met with Thaksin at the latter’s house to discuss last year’s senatorial rigging scandals which the Department of Special Investigation is currently handling as a special case in which as many as 1,200 former senatorial candidates and others may be questioned by the agency as its witnesses whilst as many as 138 pro-Bhumjaithai senators could possibly be found involved in the vote-buying, bloc-voting and money-laundering conspiracies.
Those senior lawmakers who may be formally suspected by the DSI of such electoral fraud could possibly have their monthly pay from parliament withheld in retroactive fashion and all their personal assets seized, pending court proceedings and, if finally found guilty in court, could possibly be deprived of their legislative status. If finally found involved as charged, the Bhumjaithai could possibly be dissolved at an order of court.
The DSI is a government agency under direct control by Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong who is quietly more or less responsive to the de facto Pheu Thai boss.
CAPTIONS:
Top, from left: De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, de facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob and Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Photo: MNG Online
Front Page, from left: Deputy Prime Minister/Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Thaksin Shinawatra and Newin Chidchob. Photo: MNG Online
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