"Although the involvement of faction leader Newin Chidchob in the formation of the Abhisit Vejjajiva government was controversial, he might escape punishment due to a legal grey area, Election Commission member Sodsri Sattayatham said yesterday.
Newin is a banned former Thai Rak Thai Party executive but the electoral provisions have a wide leeway for interpretation as to whether he has violated his ban by playing a decisive role in the Democrat-led coalition, she said."If Newin were to be punished, the electoral laws and the Constitution must be amended to spell out the scope of the ban and how it should be enforced," she said.
Under existing provisions and precedents, the ban prescribes for the convicted party executive to be removed from the electoral process and refrained from working or being involved in an executive capacity for five years.
In order to penalise Newin for his involvement in the coalition's formation, the prosecution has the burden to prove that he had acted like a party executive.It would be virtually impossible to obtain sufficient evidence for a re-enactment in the courtroom of Newin's actions, Sodsri said.
In his complaint against Newin, Pheu Thai MP Surapong Towijakchaikul submitted a photograph depicting Prime Minister Abhisit and Newin hugging one another, which many saw as a gesture to seal the coalition deal, she said. But this is not sufficient evidence to sway the judicial review that would consider whether Newin had violated his ban, she said.
Even though Newin was involved in activities leading to the formation of the government, the ban does not specifically exclude him from politics but only from those acts deemed under the jurisdiction of a party executive, she added."
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/03...cs_30092336.php
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EC: Banned Newin's political activities in "gray area"
Started by Sexpat, Jan 03 2009 12:46 PM
1 reply to this topic
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Posted 05 January 2009 - 10:14 AM
QUOTE
In his complaint against Newin, Pheu Thai MP ...submitted a photograph depicting Prime Minister Abhisit and Newin hugging one another, which many saw as a gesture to seal the coalition deal, she said. But this is not sufficient evidence to sway the judicial review that would consider whether Newin had violated his ban, she said.
What does she want ? A photo of them naked and copulating ?
