A number of MPs from the ruling Pheu Thai Party on Wednesday submitted a request for the House speaker to ask the Constitution Court to rule whether Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has lost his MP status since the Defence Ministry has removed his military rank.
Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat last year issued an order to remove the the army rank of acting sub-lieutenant of Mr Abhisit for allegedly using falsified documents to apply for a teaching job at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
The request was submitted by Pheu Thai party list MP Sunai Jullapongsathorn to House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont through second deputy House speaker Charoen Chankomol.
The request was signed by not fewer than one-tenth of the entire number of MPs serving in the House of Representatives as required by Section 91 of the constitution, Mr Sunai said.
Mr Sunai said Mr Abhisit had lost the qualifications under Sections 102 (6) and 106 of the constitution to run in an election and had therefore also lost his MP status.
Mr Abhisit's petition against the Defence Ministry's order was only a delaying tactic, he said.
Mr Charoen said the verification of the names in the petition would take three days. After that the request would be forwarded to the Consitution Court for consideration.