Winning party leader sued, what does EC say?

On May 22, the Bangkok Post reported that the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) is expected to rule on whether the leader of the March Forward Party (MFP), Pita Limjaroenrat, is eligible to run for election, as he owns shares in a media company.

Leader of the MFP - the party that won the Thai election on May 14 - Pita Limjaroenrat. (Source: Getty Images)

The Bangkok Post quoted a source as saying that the EC is considering a petition by Mr. Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a member of the People's Power Party (PPRP), regarding Mr. Pita's failure to declare his ownership of 42,000 shares in the media company iTV to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) before he took office as a member of parliament in 2019. Each of these shares is worth 5 baht.

Previously, Mr. Pita said he did not own the shares because he inherited them from his father. The shares were listed in Pita's name because he was then named executor of his late father's estate.

According to the MFP party leader, he explained the issue to the election authority before taking the oath of office.

Mr Leekitwattana’s petition also raised the question of whether the registration of MFP MP candidates in all 400 constituencies could also be declared invalid if Mr Pita, who approved their registration, was disqualified over the iTV shareholding issue.

Thai election law prohibits shareholders in media companies from becoming lawmakers.

Bangkok Post quoted an EC source as saying that the commission cannot invoke the law on organizing parliamentary elections in Mr. Pita's case, because section 61 of this law stipulates that the commission can only disqualify an individual as a parliamentary candidate before the election ends.

Now that the election is over, the EC has no legal basis to disqualify a candidate or elected MP.

Additionally, Section 82 of the Thai Constitution states that the EC can only disqualify anyone from being an MP after their case has been referred to the Constitutional Court for a ruling.

As Mr Pita has not been formally confirmed as an MP after the latest election, the EC must wait until Mr Pita is confirmed before it can apply this section.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ruangkrai said that on May 24, he will submit to the EC additional documents, including a list of iTV shareholders since 2006 and a chart showing iTV's income from 2006 to last year, to support his report in the hope that the EC can speed up its investigation and refer Mr. Pita's case to court.

Mr. Pita and the MFP are negotiating a coalition with seven other parties in the hope of forming a coalition government , after the party won the election on May 14.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bau-cu-thai-lan-lanh-dao-dang-gianh-chien-thang-bi-kien-ec-noi-gi-228072.html