BANGKOK, July 13 (TNA) — Pita Limjaroenrat, the frontrunner for prime minister, said on Wednesday that he remained in good spirits after Election Commission (EC) asking the Constitution Court to suspend him over alleged media shareholding which violates the election law.
Mr. Pita felt that he did not receive the fair treatment as he has not given any opportunity to defend the allegations and EC made the hasty decision to ask the Constitutional Court to consider his iTV share-holding case and the referral was announced just a day before parliament is due to vote on a new premier.
Earlier in the day, EC resolved to ask the Court to consider to disqualify Mr. Pita as MP under the Constitution’s Sections 98 (3) and 101 (6) for holding 42,000 shares in media company, iTV.
EC also recommended the Court to order Pita to stop performing his duty as MP immediately, until there is a ruling by the Court.
Mr. Pita said that he believed he didn’t receive the fair treatment as the EC has never given him a chance to defend the case.
He said that on Thursday he would go to the Parliament as planned and was ready to answer every single question. He believed the issue woiuld not have any impact to the voting process to select the prime minister.
As for the report that there are attempt to lobby the senators to vote against him to be prime minister tomorrow, Mr Pita said that he still believed that the trend of voting for him was positive while he noted that the report was appeared because the votes would successfully reach the absolute majority of 376 as needed.
“I notice that there are movements outside the parliament which show that there is confidence that the vote may reach 376 as needed so the independent organizations start to play roles. The move is not over expectation and it is manageable. Tomorrow, I will go to the parliament as usual,” said Pita.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai Party’s PM candidate
Meanwhile, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai Party’s PM candidate said the EC’s move will not affect the plan to form the government and Mr. Pita will be nominated in the parliament as prime minister. She adds that Pheu Thai Party will fully support Mr. Pita to be prime minister.
In the wake of the EC seeking the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the termination of the potential future Prime Minister Pita, based on his association with holding some iTV shares and before the vote to select prime minister tomorrow, there were movements to show political expression.
Many people gathered outside the Bangkok Art & Cultural Centre in Bangkok to jointly sent message to senate, MP and EC before the voting to select premier tomorrow.
They called for senate to vote in accordance with the people voice. (TNA)
Source: Thai News Agency