Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday failed to show up at the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to personally answer questions at the impeachment hearing into her government's loss-ridden rice-scheme, instead sending four former cabinet ministers to represent her.
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra showed up for her opening defence statement on the impeachment motion against her on Jan 9 (above), but did not front the National Legislative Assembly on Friday to answer questions. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)
The NLA's inquiry committee wanted to question Ms Yingluck, who the National Anti-Corruption Commission accused of wrongfully failing to halt her government's rice-pledging scheme despite reports it was running at a 500 billion baht loss to the state. The questioning is part of a process of the hearing of the impeachment motion against Ms Yingluck.
Ms Yingluck instead had former deputy prime minister and finance minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, former deputy prime minister and commerce minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, former deputy commerce minister Yanyong Phuangrach and former PM's office minister Varathep Rattanakorn appear in the NLA to answer questions on her behalf.
Late Friday morning some NLA members proposed the NLA postpone the question and answer session to wait for Ms Yingluck to answer questions herself. NLA president Pornphet Wichitcholchai replied there was no regulation to force Ms Yingluck to appear in person to face the questions.
He also ruled Ms Yingluck should have only one representative to answer questions on her behalf.
The NLA then went behind closed doors to discuss its response to Ms Yingluck's decision not to show up.
The NLA set Jan 23 to vote on the impeachment case against Ms Yingluck. On the same day it will also vote on the impeachment case against former Senate speaker Nikom Wairatpanij and former House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, who are accused of legal violations in past attempts to change the make-up of the Senate.
If the vote goes against them they will be retroactively removed from their past positions and have their political rights suspended.
From left, former PM's Office Minister Varathep Rattanakorn, former deputy commerce minister Yanyong Phuangrach, former deputy prime minister and finance minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong and former deputy prime minister and commerce minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan are at the National Legislative Assembly on Friday. (Photo by Pattarachai Preechapanich