THE NATION

DEPUTY PRIME Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday dismissed speculation that the next general election may be postponed in case the draft charter fails in the upcoming referendum, saying everything would go as planned in the road map.

The deputy prime minister had earlier declined to comment when asked by reporters if the election would go ahead as per the road map, only saying that the government would do its best to follow the road map.

However, he has said that if the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) does stay longer, it would only be to get a new charter drafted by a panel that would be appointed by the NCPO’s chief.

This comment prompted new speculation to swirl widely yesterday.

Prawit added that it was normal procedure to appoint a new charter drafting committee if the public reject the current draft in the referendum, though he said he could not say how long the new process would take because it is in the future.

He also said that he had no idea either on what would be done next if the charter fails at the referendum, or if the 1997 and 2007 constitutions, the previous draft written by Borwornsak Uwanno or the current one by Meechai Ruchupan’s team would be chosen or amended.

He had earlier mentioned these scenarios, but said it was only his personal opinion and that it would only be the new committee, if any, that would consider what is best for the country.

“When parties announce the PM candidates, a general election is not yet held so how can you be sure that the people you nominate would be elected. If we have the rule that the PM must be an MP but the candidate does not win an MP seat, then how do we deal with that?” he asked. He said public surveys found that people do not mind if the PM is not an elected MP.

“They want capable and good people. We aim to provide political avenues to prevent political impasse,” he said.

He said it was possible that some parties may not win any party-list seats but most parties would put up PM candidates in the party-list system.

Meechai insisted that the CDC’s aim was not to allow a non-elected PM to come to power. “We did not give way for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to become the PM again because he has always said he did not want it,” Meechai added.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) pressed charges against the then-prime minister and his deputy, plus two high-ranking police officers, for alleged malfeasance after violence was used to disperse PAD protesters camped outside Parliament in October 2008. The crackdown resulted in two deaths and more than 300 people getting injured.

Those charged were former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, former national police chief Pol General Patcharawat Wongsuwan and ex-Bangkok police chief Pol Lt-General Suchart Muankaew.

The NACC also filed a suit with the Supreme Court’s Political Division for Political Office Holders, which began calling in prosecution witnesses to testify.

However, it was recently been reported that the anti-graft agency might withdraw the case after defendants submitted additional evidence, which raised alarm bells among members of the PAD.

“We are confident in the justice system, so we don’t want to escape trial or want the case to be dropped. We go to the court almost every day, so if the NACC withdraws the suit we will take legal steps against the agency,” Pipop said.

Meanwhile, a source from the NACC said that the NACC’s sub-panel has refused to drop the case against officials responsible for the 2008 crackdown on grounds that the additional evidence submitted by the defendants was not new.

The NACC has pressed charges against the then prime minister and his deputy, plus two high-ranking police officers for alleged malfeasance after the People’s Alliance for Democracy protesters were violently dispersed from outside Parliament in October 2008, resulting in two deaths and more than 300 injured.

Those charged were former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, former national police chief Pol General Patcharawat Wongsuwan and ex-Bangkok police chief Pol Lt-General Suchart Muankaew.

The defendants recently submitted additional evidence to the NACC, asking it to withdraw the court case.

NACC secretary-general Sansern Polajiak, who led a committee to consider a petition to drop the suit, said the committee has resolved yesterday on whether to drop the suit or not.

The decision would be officially endorsed on May 24 before submitting to the NACC on May 26.

He said his committee made the decision after considering facts, laws and opinions from the public over the issue.

Anti-corruption activist Veera Somkwamkid has threatened to sue the NACC if it drops the case, citing nepotism because one of the defendants, Patcharawat is Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan’s brother.

The deputy PM reportedly backed Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit as the new NACC chairman.

Asked if the committee has suggested that Watcharapol should not have the right to vote over the dropping of the case, Sansern said that his committee has no responsibility to make such a recommendation.

The NACC source said the anti-graft agency must take extreme caution in deciding on the case because the decision would affect the image of the agency.

“The NACC must scrutinise if the new evidence is valid and if the dropping of the suit is legal since it has already filed the case with the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders,” the source said.

“Watcharapol may have to consider whether it is suitable for him to vote in the decision since the issue has triggered public sentiment. No one can think for him if he should withdraw from voting,” the source said.

The NACC last year dismissed charges of malfeasance against former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and then-deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban and ex-Army chief General Anupong Paochinda in connection with the crackdown on red-shirt rallies during the 2010 political protests.

The source said the NACC would have to scrutinise if the government crackdown on the yellow shirts in 2008 followed the emergency operation plan in dispersing rallies. The NACC dropped the suit against Abhisit and others because they had followed the plan in accordance with the law.