Prolific petitioner Ruangkrai Leekitwattana has asked the Election Commission to investigate the eligibility of Paetongtarn Shinawatra to hold the post of prime minister, questioning the date of her resignation from positions with 21 companies within the family's business empire.
Mr Ruangkrai said on Wednesday he had sent his latest petition to the EC via express mail service (EMS).
He said Ms Paetongtarn was elected prime minister by the House of Representatives on Aug 16. He asked the commission to look into whether Ms Paetongtarn had tendered her resignation from all executive roles in the family's companies by Aug 15, or not, and why her resignation was registered on Aug 19, three days after she was elected.
The petition, sent on Wednesday, asked the EC to investigate whether Ms Paetongtarn's status as prime minister should be voided under Section 170 (5) and Section 187 of the constitution.
Section 170 (5) deals with the ethics of cabinet ministers.
Section 187 prohibits a minister or their spouse from holding shares in a commercial company. (continues below)
Serial petitioner Ruangkrai Leekitwattana has asked the Election Commission to investigate the eligibility of Prime Minister Paetontarn Shinawatra. (File photo)
In his petition, Mr Ruangkrai cited a report by Isra News Agency on Monday that Prime Minister Paetongtarn had resigned from her executive positions at all 21 companies owned by the Shinawatra family.
On Aug 15, she had sent a letter authorising a close aide to handle the documents on her behalf. The documents were submitted to the Department of Business Development on Aug 19.
Ms Paetongtarn gave her aide authority just one day after the Constitutional Court ruled to dismiss then-prime minister Srettha Thavisin from office, Mr Ruangkrai said.
Ms Paetongtarn, the leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, received royal endorsement as Thailand’s 31st prime minister on Aug 18. She is also the country's youngest prime minister at 38 years of age.
Mr Ruangkrai questioned whether Ms Paetongtarn had resigned from all company executive positions on Aug 15. He asked why the documents were submitted to the appropriate authorities on Aug 19.
The petitioner asked the EC whether her status as prime minister would be terminated under Section 170 (5) and Section 187 of the charter if an investigation found she had actually resigned from those companies after Aug 16.
He said he was still gathering information from the various state agencies and would compile and soon submit those documents to the EC to support his petition.
On Wednesday, Ms Paetongtarn declined to comment on Mr Ruangkrai’s petition when she arrived at the Pheu Thai Party head office at Shinawatra Tower 3 in Bangkok.
