Bangkok Post

Ombudsman says Sangha choice illegal

Somdet Chuang faces more calls to quit post

- AEKARACH SATTABURUT­H Paiboon: Petitions against SSC nomination

The Sangha Supreme Council’s (SSC) nomination of Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamang­alacharn to become the new supreme patriarch is against the law, according to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Office of the Ombudsman secretaryg­eneral, Raksakecha Chaechay, yesterday announced the office’s ruling on the matter following a petition by Paiboon Nititawan, the former chairman of the now-defunct National Reform Council (NRC) committee on religious affairs.

Mr Paiboon petitioned the Office of the Ombudsman to interpret Section 7 of the Sangha Act which deals with nominating new supreme patriarchs in order to determine whether initiating the nomination of the supreme patriarch is the responsibi­lity of the prime minister or the SSC.

Mr Paiboon said he doubted whether the SSC had the legal authority to unilateral­ly hold a secret meeting on Jan 5 in order to nominate Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamang­alacharn to become the new supreme patriarch.

Mr Raksakecha said the office has concluded that the authority to initiate selection of the supreme patriarch rests with the prime minister who will have to present the name of the most senior monk to the SSC for endorsemen­t.

After the SSC’s endorsemen­t, the name of the nominee will be submitted to the prime minister through the National Office of Buddhism (NOB).

But before the prime minister can forward the name to His Majesty the King for final endorsemen­t, he must ask the SSC to verify whether the nomination process was correct or not. In light of this, the SSC’s nomination on Jan 5 of Somdet Phra Maha Rat ch am an gala ch a rn, also known as Somdet Chuang, did not comply with the legal process, he said.

Mr Raksakecha added that the NOB had considered the matter carefully and sought advice from several experts on the issue.

However, NOB deputy director Chayapol Pongsida yesterday insisted the SSC’s nomination followed legal procedures, saying the NOB has submitted the nomination to PM’s Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardh­ana.

Addressing the Office of the Ombudsman’s conflictin­g view with the NOB, Mr Chayapol said the prime minister will have the final say on the matter.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday said he has been informed of the Office of the Ombudsman’s ruling on the matter.

However, no one had previously bothered to question whether t he nomination process was incorrect or not, he said.

Mr Wissanu added that the government has always respected the SSC’s decisions.

Former NRC member Mano Laohavanic­h yesterday called on Somdet Chuang to step down as acting supreme patriarch and also to quit as the abbot of Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen.

Mr Mano said it is not proper or appropriat­e for the 90-year-old senior monk to continue performing the supreme patriarch’s duties while the Department of Special Investigat­ion (DSI) is looking into a luxury car tax evasion case involving him.

Somdet Chuang was linked to the case after his signature was found on an illegal registrati­on form for a vintage MercedesBe­nz he owned.

The DSI is in the process of inviting the acting supreme patriarch in for questionin­g over his alleged involvemen­t in the tax evasion scam.

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