Expected to resign from office today
WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM & WASSANA NANUAM
PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair is expected to resign today after pressure from military leaders and with police deciding to file a lese majeste charge against him.
The minister will hold a press conference today on his political future, Chatuporn Promphan, a People Power party (PPP) MP and close friend, disclosed.
Sources expect Mr Jakrapob to announce his resignation from cabinet.
They said Mr Jakrapob, who on Monday decided to take seven days of leave, was also under pressure from other PPP members, who are pushing him to sacrifice his position for the stability of the administration.
Mr Jakrapob's troubles came from a speech he made at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on Aug 29 last year, where he spoke about the patronage system and democracy in Thailand. He is alleged to have tried to challenge the royal institution, although he strongly denies the accusation.
His speech also praised ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose work lured him out of the Foreign Ministry and into politics.
Mr Thaksin has already sent two messages to Mr Jakrapob, telling him to take responsibility for what he had done.
The opposition Democrat party also called for the prime minister to take action against Mr Jakrapob before the situation gets out of control.
Mr Thaksin gave Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda a wai when both attended the funeral of army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda's mother at Wat Sommanat last night.
Mr Jakrapob's problems deepened yesterday when air force chief ACM Chalit Phukphasuk and Supreme Commander Gen Boonsrang Niempradit put pressure on him to resign.
ACM Chalit urged the government and the ruling PPP to ease the rising political tension by solving three problems, one of them being Mr Jakrapob. The minister was a factor leading to rifts in the country, ACM Chalit said.
The two other problems were to defer the attempt to rewrite the charter, which was seen by the air force leader as serving the interest of certain groups, and better measures to ease economic difficulties.
Gen Boonsrang echoed ACM Chalit's call for Mr Jakrapob to step down and stressed the importance of all Thais showing their loyalty to the monarchy.
''Talking in a public venue is not the same as chatting in private places,'' said Gen Boonsrang.
A cabinet minister must use his own judgement after making a mistake and with the public no longer wanting him in office, he said.
''If I were him, I would quit hours later [after I was found guilty], not talk about how many days afterward.
''I'd see no point staying on,'' said Gen Boonsrang.
''It is not a disgrace to leave,'' he said. ''It is an heroic exit.''
At the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) office, a panel agreed to press charges against Mr Jakrapob related to his speech.
If found guilty he could face between three and 15 years in jail under the Criminal Law.
Mr Jakrapob will be summoned to hear the charge next week or asked to turn himself in to police, said CIB chief Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn Nonsi.
If he fails to meet police, the CIB will forward the evidence and ask the Criminal Court to issue a court summons for him, he added.
Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn said he was confident in the evidence to back up the charge against the minister. The CIB is seeking opinions on the speech on the patronage system and democracy in Thailand from literature and translation experts, he said.
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WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM & WASSANA NANUAM
PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair is expected to resign today after pressure from military leaders and with police deciding to file a lese majeste charge against him.
The minister will hold a press conference today on his political future, Chatuporn Promphan, a People Power party (PPP) MP and close friend, disclosed.
Sources expect Mr Jakrapob to announce his resignation from cabinet.
They said Mr Jakrapob, who on Monday decided to take seven days of leave, was also under pressure from other PPP members, who are pushing him to sacrifice his position for the stability of the administration.
Mr Jakrapob's troubles came from a speech he made at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on Aug 29 last year, where he spoke about the patronage system and democracy in Thailand. He is alleged to have tried to challenge the royal institution, although he strongly denies the accusation.
His speech also praised ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose work lured him out of the Foreign Ministry and into politics.
Mr Thaksin has already sent two messages to Mr Jakrapob, telling him to take responsibility for what he had done.
The opposition Democrat party also called for the prime minister to take action against Mr Jakrapob before the situation gets out of control.
Mr Thaksin gave Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda a wai when both attended the funeral of army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda's mother at Wat Sommanat last night.
Mr Jakrapob's problems deepened yesterday when air force chief ACM Chalit Phukphasuk and Supreme Commander Gen Boonsrang Niempradit put pressure on him to resign.
ACM Chalit urged the government and the ruling PPP to ease the rising political tension by solving three problems, one of them being Mr Jakrapob. The minister was a factor leading to rifts in the country, ACM Chalit said.
The two other problems were to defer the attempt to rewrite the charter, which was seen by the air force leader as serving the interest of certain groups, and better measures to ease economic difficulties.
Gen Boonsrang echoed ACM Chalit's call for Mr Jakrapob to step down and stressed the importance of all Thais showing their loyalty to the monarchy.
''Talking in a public venue is not the same as chatting in private places,'' said Gen Boonsrang.
A cabinet minister must use his own judgement after making a mistake and with the public no longer wanting him in office, he said.
''If I were him, I would quit hours later [after I was found guilty], not talk about how many days afterward.
''I'd see no point staying on,'' said Gen Boonsrang.
''It is not a disgrace to leave,'' he said. ''It is an heroic exit.''
At the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) office, a panel agreed to press charges against Mr Jakrapob related to his speech.
If found guilty he could face between three and 15 years in jail under the Criminal Law.
Mr Jakrapob will be summoned to hear the charge next week or asked to turn himself in to police, said CIB chief Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn Nonsi.
If he fails to meet police, the CIB will forward the evidence and ask the Criminal Court to issue a court summons for him, he added.
Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn said he was confident in the evidence to back up the charge against the minister. The CIB is seeking opinions on the speech on the patronage system and democracy in Thailand from literature and translation experts, he said.
Discuss
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Bury
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