EC is told supporters' patience wearing thin
- Newspaper section: News
Red shirt leaders have promised not to create trouble for the time being but warn they may lose patience if the Election Commission fails to endorse all Pheu Thai election winners within the 30-day limit.
Two weeks after the election, the EC has only certified the status of 370 MPs - 259 constituency seats and 111 as party-list MPs. Twelve red shirt leaders who contested the poll under Pheu Thai's banner are not among them.The EC is expected to announce a third batch of endorsed MPs today.
According to the EC, the delay in endorsing the red shirt leaders as MPs is due to an inquiry into their qualifications. They face complaints that they do not meet the party's membership qualifications after some of them were arrested for alleged involvement in last year's political violence.
The Pheu Thai Party's Regulation 10 states that those who have been arrested and imprisoned will be stripped of their membership.
Natthawut Saikua, a core red shirt member and Pheu Thai list MP-elect, yesterday questioned the poll agency's judgement in delaying the endorsement, saying its reasoning was ill-founded.
Mr Natthawut said the EC allowed all of the red shirt leaders to stand in the election in the first place and this meant the agency agreed they were qualified to contest the poll.
Moreover, out of 12 red shirt core members, seven had never been sent to prison by a court order, he said.
They are Apiwan Wiriyachai, Payap Pankate, Wichian Khaokham, Karun Hosakul, Prasit Chaisrisa, Worachai Hema and Sataporn Maneerat.
"Some of them do not face any charges at all but the EC treats them the same. If the EC will open its eyes, it'll see they have nothing to do with it," he said.
For those who had been detained, Mr Natthawut said they resigned from the party and re-applied to avoid legal complications after their release on bail.
He said the red shirts would be patient and allow the EC to do its job first.
The EC is expected to endorse 95% of MPs within 30 days of the election for the House to convene its first meeting.
He denied that the red shirts were applying pressure to force the EC to dance to its tune.
But he said if the red shirt winners were not endorsed after the 30-day time frame, action would be considered.
"It is not that the EC must endorse all the red shirts. But we have solid evidence to prove our case which gives the EC no excuse to delay endorsement," he said.
Shinawat Haboonpad, a red shirt leader, said yesterday the red shirts' action would depend on the EC's decision.
"If they come out onto the streets, you can't blame them. They are upset with the EC, so it is up to the poll agency.
"As a matter of fact the EC has certified that they are qualified to run, so there is no reason to withhold endorsement," he said.
Pheu Thai's likely premier Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday delayed her plan to collect her MP status certificate from the EC and report to parliament.
Ms Yingluck, who was approved as an MP on Tuesday along with Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, said she would go together with a group of Pheu Thai MPs who have already been endorsed.
The move is being seen by Ms Yingluck's political opponents as an attempt to pressure the EC.
According to Ms Yingluck, the party would meet its coalition partners to discuss its policies in detail after the EC finishes endorsing elected MPs.
Mr Abhisit yesterday urged the EC not to bow to pressure and do its job in a straightforward manner.
"If they start to cave in, problems will persist. And if they do not do their job properly, they will only have themselves to blame," he said.
Meanwhile, the EC has suspended the poll victory of the Bhumjaithai winner in Sukhothai's Constituency 3 and called a by-election for July 31.
EC secretary-general Sutthipol Taweechaikarn said that Bhumjaithai's Chakkawan Chaiwiratkul was suspended on the grounds of vote buying.
The candidate was accused of paying 20 people 200 baht per head to attend to his election campaign. But Mr Chakkawan said he hired these people to help with his poll campaigning.
Three commissioners went for a red card. Another went for a yellow card and the other wanted the allegations dismissed.
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