Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Ministers refuse to resign despite EC shares ruling

       Three government ministers are refusing to leave office despite being among 16 lawmakers found by the Election Commission to hold shares in breach of the constitution.
       The EC found the 16 should be disqualified for holding shares in state concessionaires.
       Two of the three ministers come from the Bhumjaithai Party - Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat and Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodee - while the third is Deputy Transport Minister Kuerkul Danchaivichit of the Chart Thai Pattana Party.
       EC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn said the commission resolved yesterday the lawmakers held shares in a manner prohibited by the constitution. Forty-four members of the House came under investigation.
       The 16 politicians comprise 10 opposition MPs and six from the government.
       The house speaker will ask the Constitution Court to consider the EC's findings. If the court accepts the matter for consideration, the lawmakers must leave office.
       The EC found Mr Boonjong's wife held a stake in PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP), while Mr Manit had holdings in True Corp and PTTEP,and Mr Kuerkul had shares in PTTEP.
       Mr Boonjong yesterday said he would not resign as an MP or as deputy minister, as the shareholding involved was too small.
       Mr Manit said he would not quit his ministerial post because the EC's findings only affected his status as a member of the House.
       Mr Kuerkul said he would fight the ban in the Constitution Court.
       The EC also ruled against opposition MPs Sunai Julapongsatorn and Sanoh Thienthong of the Puea Thai Party and Pracharaj Party respectively, but spared Democrat and Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senneam, and Bhumjaithai Party's Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai, who were also accused of shareholding breaches.
       The EC found Mr Thaworn's wife had a stake in a non-profit organisation for tax purposes.
       Mrs Porntiva's 200 shares in Thai Airways International did not pose a problem because the airline was not a concessionaire of the state, and the shareholding was too small.
       Mr Sunai yesterday complained the issue had resulted from the 2007 constitution, which he said gave absolute power to the Constitution Court and weakened the House.
       Mr Sanoh criticised the EC for not ruling against any Democrat MPs in its findings. He said independent organisations were following orders from third parties and that blocked efforts at forging national reconciliation.

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