Abhisit under fire for referendum jibe

Abhisit under fire for referendum jibe

EC's Sodsri says threats to obstruct vote illegal

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva is under fire after calling on voters to "derail" the planned charter-amendment referendum.

The government is threatening to lobby for the disbanding of the Democrat Party if he tries to obstruct the vote.

Election commissioner Sodsri Satayathum yesterday said Mr Abhisit's actions could be deemed a violation of Section 43 of the Referendum Act, which prohibits attempts to obstruct a referendum through threats or deception.

Violators faces up to 10 years in jail and a maximum fine of 200,000 baht, she said.

Mr Abhisit posted an open letter on his Facebook page on Sunday, urging voters to reject changes to the constitution during the government's referendum on charter change.

In the letter, the Democrat leader called on the public to "derail" what he said was little more than an attempt by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to "whitewash" all cases involving her brother, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He accused the prime minister of planning to amend Section 309 of the 2007 charter, which legalised the actions of the military coup-makers in 2006.

Doing so would exonerate Thaksin of all charges brought against him after the coup that toppled his government, Mr Abhisit said in the letter.

Ms Yingluck yesterday rejected that claim, saying the final details of the charter amendment had not yet been finalised.

Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan also defended the government's effort to rewrite the constitution, saying the charter was a product of the 2006 coup. He said the cabinet had set aside a budget of 90.2 million baht to fund 108 public forums on the proposed amendment.

Asked whether Mr Abhisit's statement could lead to the Democrat Party being disbanded, Mrs Sodsri said that would be a possibility if the comments were found to breach the referendum act. Mr Abhisit yesterday downplayed the letter. "When I said 'derail', I meant that we should act together to make sure that [the charter rewrite bid] is not approved in the referendum," he said. "I didn't mean that we should seek to block the referendum from taking place."

Democrat list-MP Ong-art Klampaibul said the party was not planning to obstruct the referendum, but was keeping a close watch on how the government organises the vote.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit accused Mr Abhisit of having no respect for the constitution or the public.

He said his party would closely monitor the opposition leader's movements to determine whether he breaches the referendum act. If so, Pheu Thai would compile evidence to petition the election commission (EC) to consider disbanding the party, he said.

"I want to reveal the true colours of Mr Abhisit, who talks democracy but thinks dictatorship," Mr Prompong said.

If the cabinet today approves the proposal to hold the referendum as expected, the EC should be able to hold the vote in March or April next year, election commissioner Sodsri said.

Voting will not be mandatory, and voters will not be subject to the usual punishments if they fail to cast their ballot in the referendum, she said.

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