Wait for the explanation, says Meechai

Criticism based solely on opinion

Kosol Satithamajit
Pattaya

Criticism of the Constitutional Court should be put on hold until it issues a "common" verdict explaining why Thaksin Shinawatra was acquitted in his wealth concealment case, former senate speaker Meechai Ruchuphan said yesterday.

"It seems to me that people are now just giving their personal views, without having full knowledge of the verdict," he told a seminar on bureaucratic reform.

"So they're focusing only on whether or not they like the verdict.

"It would be better if, when the common ruling is issued, critics study it and make comments about its legal aspects, not look separately at each judge and the organisation as they are now doing," said Mr Meechai, chairman of the government's committee on reforming laws for development.

The court on Friday decided by 8-7 that Mr Thaksin did not violate Article 295 of the constitution when he failed to declare shares worth billions of baht which his servants held in his behalf in his 1997-1998 assets declarations to the corruption commission.

Leading Thai Rak Thai members supported Mr Meechai's argument.

Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun said people should not take it for granted that Mr Thaksin's case was similar to other hidden assets cases.

"If we look superficially at two things, they may seem to share many similarities. But when we scrutinise the details, they may have nothing in common at all," Mr Purachai said.

PM's Office Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng said the court's ruling was the ultimate verdict.

"We must pay it respect no matter what the verdict is," Mr Chaturon said.

No campaign by any group of people could change it.