MP will have to be endorsed if investigation is not completed by Tuesday
Published on January 12, 2008
The Election Commission (EC) will have to endorse People Power Party (PPP) deputy leader Yongyuth Tiyapairat as an MP if it cannot complete the investigation of electoral fraud allegedly involving him by Tuesday, EC member Sodsri Satayathum said yesterday.
The EC postponed ruling on the case after it appointed an ad-hoc panel of five members yesterday.
Former Constitution Court judge Suwit Thirapong leads the panel, which will probe the case.
"If the panel cannot conclude the case by Tuesday, the EC will endorse Yongyuth as an MP," Sodsri said.
If he is found guilty in any further legal process, however, he will forfeit his seat, she said.
The EC has endorsed about 420 of 480 MPs-elect. Sonsri believed that by Tuesday the EC could approve more winning candidates to take the number to 456, or 95 per cent, the figure legally needed to convene the first House session.
The Panel's members will go to Chiang Rai, the home province of Yongyuth, to renew the process of interrogating witnesses, Sodsri said.
The EC will show Yongyuth a video clip that allegedly shows his involvement, she said.
Yongyuth says he is being framed to annul his victory as a party-list candidate in Zone 1 and disband the PPP as a penalty.
He says the video clip linking him to fraud has mysteriously disappeared since he asked that experts be allowed to determine if it had been doctored.
He says electoral officials told him the clip was in the hands of the Special Branch investigators in charge of the case but he was unable to locate it because they refused to answer his telephone calls.
Meanwhile, Maj-General Chaiya Siriamphankul of the Special Branch handed the video disc with the controversial clip to the EC.
The EC yesterday disqualified two candidates from the PPP and Democrat parties.
Chalermchart Karun, PPP candidate for Sakon Nakhon's Constituency 1, and Charnchai Issarasenarak, Democrat candidate for Nakhon Nayok's Constituency 1, were given yellow cards by the EC for poll violations.
The EC said it needed more investigation in Sakon Nakhon's Constituency 1 and had to have the result in seven days.
The EC also endorsed three PPP candidates in Kalasin's Constituency 1, Boonruen Sritharet, Weerawat Osathanu-kroh and Khomdej Chaisiwamongkol, and Vichien Udomsak in Amnat Charoen's Constituency 1.
As of yesterday 424 members of Parliament had been endorsed.
The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed an application by three disqualified candidates seeking to overturn their red cards in Buri Ram Constituency 1.
The court ruled it had no jurisdiction to launch an appellate review on red cards issued before the final endorsement of election results.
"The Election Commission has the mandate to disqualify any balloting results deemed fraudulent, and the judiciary has no purview to check on the supervision of the electoral process," it said, explaining that the judiciary could review an appeal only if the disqualification occurred after the endorsement of the outcome.
In the Buri Ram case, the commission issued the red cards and revoked voting rights for one year before the tallying of votes was endorsed, the ruling said.
Those involved are Prakij Poldej, Pornchai Srisuriyanyothin and Rungroj Thongsri, all of the PPP. They declined to comment after hearing the ruling.
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Published on January 12, 2008
The Election Commission (EC) will have to endorse People Power Party (PPP) deputy leader Yongyuth Tiyapairat as an MP if it cannot complete the investigation of electoral fraud allegedly involving him by Tuesday, EC member Sodsri Satayathum said yesterday.
The EC postponed ruling on the case after it appointed an ad-hoc panel of five members yesterday.
Former Constitution Court judge Suwit Thirapong leads the panel, which will probe the case.
"If the panel cannot conclude the case by Tuesday, the EC will endorse Yongyuth as an MP," Sodsri said.
If he is found guilty in any further legal process, however, he will forfeit his seat, she said.
The EC has endorsed about 420 of 480 MPs-elect. Sonsri believed that by Tuesday the EC could approve more winning candidates to take the number to 456, or 95 per cent, the figure legally needed to convene the first House session.
The Panel's members will go to Chiang Rai, the home province of Yongyuth, to renew the process of interrogating witnesses, Sodsri said.
The EC will show Yongyuth a video clip that allegedly shows his involvement, she said.
Yongyuth says he is being framed to annul his victory as a party-list candidate in Zone 1 and disband the PPP as a penalty.
He says the video clip linking him to fraud has mysteriously disappeared since he asked that experts be allowed to determine if it had been doctored.
He says electoral officials told him the clip was in the hands of the Special Branch investigators in charge of the case but he was unable to locate it because they refused to answer his telephone calls.
Meanwhile, Maj-General Chaiya Siriamphankul of the Special Branch handed the video disc with the controversial clip to the EC.
The EC yesterday disqualified two candidates from the PPP and Democrat parties.
Chalermchart Karun, PPP candidate for Sakon Nakhon's Constituency 1, and Charnchai Issarasenarak, Democrat candidate for Nakhon Nayok's Constituency 1, were given yellow cards by the EC for poll violations.
The EC said it needed more investigation in Sakon Nakhon's Constituency 1 and had to have the result in seven days.
The EC also endorsed three PPP candidates in Kalasin's Constituency 1, Boonruen Sritharet, Weerawat Osathanu-kroh and Khomdej Chaisiwamongkol, and Vichien Udomsak in Amnat Charoen's Constituency 1.
As of yesterday 424 members of Parliament had been endorsed.
The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed an application by three disqualified candidates seeking to overturn their red cards in Buri Ram Constituency 1.
The court ruled it had no jurisdiction to launch an appellate review on red cards issued before the final endorsement of election results.
"The Election Commission has the mandate to disqualify any balloting results deemed fraudulent, and the judiciary has no purview to check on the supervision of the electoral process," it said, explaining that the judiciary could review an appeal only if the disqualification occurred after the endorsement of the outcome.
In the Buri Ram case, the commission issued the red cards and revoked voting rights for one year before the tallying of votes was endorsed, the ruling said.
Those involved are Prakij Poldej, Pornchai Srisuriyanyothin and Rungroj Thongsri, all of the PPP. They declined to comment after hearing the ruling.
The Nation
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