NLA urged to take graft bill to court
Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman Meechai Ruchupan has urged the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to ask the Constitutional Court to end a controversy surrounding the anti-corruption bill.
The section allows incumbent members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to stay in power despite possibly violating the charter.
“If NLA members want to petition the court, they can do it immediately, though the NLA earlier voted in favour of the bill,” Mr Meechai said yesterday.
Central to the debate is that the majority of NLA members believe the section in question is legitimate despite concerns as to whether the qualifications of some NACC members fall short of those required by 2017 charter.
Whether the NACC must be “reset” to bring the graft buster in line with the new charter, which bans commissioners from having served in a political position for 10 years prior to taking the post, must be clarified by the court, Mr Meechai said.
“There will be a problem if the court rules this section is unconstitutional,” added Mr Meechai.
The current graft watchdog panel includes NACC president Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, who served as a deputy secretary-general to the prime minister in 2014. The controversy over the NLA’s approval of the bill, which also allows nine NACC members to stay in office, erupted after the commissioners were ordered to investigate luxury watches worn by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who is suspected of not declaring the valuables to the graft watchdog.
The investigation into the watches is still ongoing.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also asked for the bill to be considered by the court to clear up doubts.
NLA member Somchai Swangkarn, secretary to the NLA committee on legislative affairs, said yesterday that NLA members who abstained or voted against the bill are preparing to ask the chairman to petition the court to look into the issue.
During the session, up to 29 members decided not to cast their votes while 26 voted against the bill.
The support of 25 of the 250 NLA members is required for the petition to go ahead.
Committee spokesman Jate Siratharanon expected the requirement will be met and NLA chairman Pornpetch Wichitcholchai should receive the petition by tomorrow.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has said he supports the move as this will not only clarify public doubts, but also give the incumbent NACC members the confidence to go about their work properly.