Former House speaker banned from politics for five years / Charter court rules against Preah Vihear communique / Democrats want impeachment of cabinet, PPP may be dissolved
POST REPORTERS
The separate court rulings against Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama and former House speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat yesterday dealt major blows to the government, which will now face fresh efforts to remove it from office. The pressure started earlier in the day with the Constitution Court's verdict on the June 18 joint communique with Cambodia on the World Heritage listing of Preah Vihear temple, signed by Mr Noppadon and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. The court ruled that the document needed approval from parliament.
Hours later the Supreme Court's election division banned Mr Yongyuth of the People Power party (PPP) from politics for five years for election fraud. .
The Constitution Court's ruling not only prompted calls for Mr Noppadon to resign to show responsibility but also prompted a group of senators and MPs from the Democrat party to seek the impeachment of the entire cabinet.
Senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn said a group of senators also are considering asking the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) to seek criminal action against the cabinet.
Mr Khamnoon said the government had failed to observe the charter and was subject to investigation under the Criminal Code for lapse of duty.
If the NCCC agrees, the case will be heard in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
M.R. Priyanandana Rangsit, vice-chairwoman of the Senate committee for foreign affairs, urged the foreign minister to show responsibility by resigning from his post following the Constitution Court's ruling.
''Mr Noppadon has been working in a hush-hush manner and never let other stakeholders know what was going on,'' M.R. Priyanandana said in a telephone interview from Iran.
The Democrat party will also seek a separate impeachment of Mr Noppadon for breaching the constitution within days and it will probably include the entire cabinet, including Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
Democrat deputy leader Sathit Wongnongtoey said the party will have to study the Constitution Court's verdict before deciding whether or not to proceed against the government.
In the Yongyuth case, the Election Commission can also ask the Constitution Court to dissolve the PPP if it has evidence Mr Yongyuth's poll fraud was aimed at benefiting the party, of which he was a deputy leader at the time.
As pressure mounts, political analysts have warned the government against dissolving the House of Representatives to escape responsibility or the PPP's dissolution.
The House ordinary session will open on Aug 1, with the 2009 budget high on the agenda. The cabinet was informed about the House opening yesterday, said deputy government spokesman Nathawut Saikua.
Pakorn Priyakorn of the National Institute of Development Administration said in a statement that dissolving the House is not an option.
''There is talk about House dissolution. The prime minister must consider carefully. In Mr Yongyuth's case, the House of Representatives has done nothing wrong,'' he said.
Panithan Wattanayakorn of Chulalongkorn University's political science faculty called on Mr Noppadon to resign and the prime minister to apologise to the public.
He believed Mr Samak would not go for a House dissolution as it would be months before the two cases are finalised.
Nakharin Mektrairat, dean of Thammasat University's political science faculty, said the prime minister was unlikely to dissolve the House unless the PPP's coalition partners switched sides.
The prime minister avoided reporters yesterday but the coalition government appeared to be hanging together.
PM's Office Minister Chusak Sirinin said the government had no reason to resign because of the Constitution Court's ruling. The government had no intention of doing anything to damage the country, he said.
PPP spokesman Kudep Saikrajang said the government has the legitimacy to stay on and use the mandate given to it by voters to solve the country's problems.
''I do not believe that the prospect of party dissolution is an urgent matter that forces the government to stop working,'' he said.
The coalition parties downplayed speculation that the prime minister will opt for a House dissolution.
Chart Thai deputy leader Somsak Prisananantakul said the PPP still has several months to fight against party dissolution in court. He also said the expulsion of Mr Yongyuth would not affect the government's stability and it was considered a personal matter.
Puea Paendin party spokesman Chaiyos Jiramethakarn said the guilty verdict was not a reason to dissolve the House, but was a reason for the coalition government to remain strong and see the situation through.
Matchimathipataya party deputy leader Banyin Tangpakorn said the two court rulings did not warrant House dissolution. ''The government has no intention of violating the constitution.''
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