NLA set to convene next week

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) will convene next week to resume its legislative duties, including a move to retroactively impeach two former Pheu Thai Party MPs in connection with the alleged swapping of charter amendment draft bills and voting for fellow MPs in parliament in 2013.

NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai yesterday said the assembly will reconvene next Thursday and Friday.

At next Thursday’s session, the NLA will consider whether to endorse a bill on combating and preventing the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Next Friday, the NLA will consider whether to retroactively impeach former Pheu Thai Party MP for Nonthaburi Udomdej Rattanasathien, and former Sakon Nakhon MP Narisorn Thongthirach, as recommended by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

The NACC accused Mr Udomdej of abusing his power by swapping a constitutional amendment draft previously submitted to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives on March 20, 2013, with another presented at a joint House sitting on April 1, 2013, without receiving parliamentary authorisation.

The amendment sought to add a new clause stipulating the then-elected senators could serve successive terms.

If impeached, Mr Udomdej will be banned from politics for five years.

The NACC also found Mr Narisorn had used MP ID cards to vote on fellow MPs’ behalf in parliament during a parliamentary session, which constitutes an abuse of power and violates the anti-graft law.

He was among former MPs accused of using several i dentification cards to register votes for absent colleagues when parliament convened to consider the Senate-related amendment.