The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) will next week ask House Speaker Chuan Leekpai to petition the Constitutional Court to rule on the eligibility of some 30 opposition MPs accused of violating the media shareholding rule, according to a party source.
The move, perceived as a counter- attack against the Pheu Thai Party, which has accused 41 government MPs of breaching Section 98(3) of the constitution, which bars owners and/or shareholders of media and/or publishing firms from running as MPs.
Mr Chuan reportedly forwarded the Pheu Thai request to the Constitutional Court last week.
Among the opposition MPs targeted are three Pheu Thai heavyweights -- Sompong Amornwiwat, an MP for Chiang Mai who is widely tipped to take the helm of the core opposition party; Pairote Losunthorn, an MP for Lampang; and Niyom Vechakama, an MP for Sakon Nakhon, said the same source.
According to the Department of Business Development, Mr Sompong is listed as an executive of Syndicate Advertising Ltd Co, which is registered as engaging in television advertising, film and the newspaper industries.
Mr Pairote is listed as an executive of Siam Telephone Directory Ltd Co whose memorandum states that providing content and engaging in commercials are among its business objectives.
Mr Niyom is an executive of Mati Thai Lt which is registered as operating both printing and newspaper businesses.
Thossapol Pengsom, head of the PPRP's legal team, told the media yesterday that the 27 PPRP MPs accused of breaching the rule do not actually hold any media shares.
Of the 41 MPs facing eligibility reviews by the court, 27 are from the PPRP, 10 are from the Democrat Party and one each from the Bhumjaithai Party, the Action Coalition for Thailand Party, the Chartpattana Party and the Prachaphiwat Party.
Future Forward Party (FFP) secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, meanwhile, called on the court to apply the same standards when deliberating the media share-holding cases against the government MPs.
He was reacting to reports that the PPRP's legal team would ask it to grant an injunction to its MPs so that they can continue performing their duties.
FFP leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, who faces the same accusation, was suspended as an MP, pending the court's ruling, after he was accused by the Election Commission of holding shares in V-Luck Media Co when he registered as an MP candidate in early February.