Two former Pheu Thai MPs banned from politics

Two former Pheu Thai MPs banned from politics

In this January 2014 file photo, former Pheu Thai MP for Nonthaburi Udomdej Rattanasathien reaches the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in Nonthaburi province to acknowledge an accusation that led to his impeachment on Friday. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
In this January 2014 file photo, former Pheu Thai MP for Nonthaburi Udomdej Rattanasathien reaches the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in Nonthaburi province to acknowledge an accusation that led to his impeachment on Friday. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Friday impeached and retroactively removed from office a former Pheu Thai MP and a former Pheu Thai cabinet minister.

They are: former social development and human security minister Udomdej Rattanasathien, who represented Nonthaburi province and was also chief government whips, and Narisorn Thongthirach, was a Sakon Nakhon MP.

Both are subsequently banned from holding a political or governmental positions for five years.

The NLA impeached Mr Udomdej by a 206-15 vote and Mr Narisorn by 221-1.

The voting was in line with a National Anti-Corruption Commission's (NACC) proposal in 2013.

The NACC accused Mr Udomdej of abusing his power by swapping the constitutional amendment bill previously submitted to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives on March 20, 2013, with another presented at a joint House sitting on April 1, 2013, without parliamentary approval.

The amendment sought to add a new clause stipulating the then-elected senators could serve successive terms.

The NACC found Mr Narisorn had voted on behalf of a number of fellow MPs by using their cards during a parliamentary session.

He was among former MPs accused of using several identification cards to register votes for absent colleagues when parliament convened to consider the Senate-related amendment.

Impeachment is applied retroactively in Thailand even though a person has already left office because it serves to prevent him or her from holding political office for five years under the NACC law. 

The removal of the two men from former office on Friday could be the last by parliament. Under the new constitution, politicians would be impeached by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.  

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