The political spotlight will turn to the legislature on Thursday and Friday (January 8 and 9) when the NLA starts deliberations on the retroactive removals from office of former Parliament president Somsak Kiatsuranon, ex-Senate speaker Nikom Wairatpanij and former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
NLA vice president Peerasak Porchit said yesterday (January 2) that the process will be conducted independently from the NCPO, which has issued no ‘’political orders’’ to take action against the three.
‘’I’m not worried that the impeachment will turn political,” he said.
Kiatsuranon and Wairatpnij were accused by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) of abuse of their authority in violation of the 2007 constitution when they tried to amend the charter on senate composition. The amendment was shot down by the Constitutional Court.
Yingluck faces impeachment on charges of negligence related to alleged corruption in the rice-pledging scheme.
The NACC put the three cases forward to the NLA.
Although the three are out of politics, the impeachment will have implications for their political futures as they would face a five-year ban from politics if the NLA agrees with the NACC’s findings and impeaches them.
The three will have a chance to defend themselves before the NLA. But none will be allowed to present additional evidence to counter the accusations.
“I cannot predict the results. It will be up to the judgement of the NLA members,’’ Mr Peerasak said.
All 250 NLA members were handpicked by the NCPO which deposed the Yingluck government in the May 22 coup last year.
See original story here.