Thailand's Opposition files impeachment petition against government MPs

BANGKOK, November 17 (TNA) - Thailand's main opposition Democrat Party has filed an impeachment petition with Senate Speaker General Theeradet Meepien against seven members of parliament (MP) in the government camp for alleged unconstitutional irregularities related to the country's ongoing flooding crisis. Opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanawisit handed the petition, endorsed by 125 signatures of Democrat MPs, to the Senate Speaker today, alleging that the seven MPs of the ruling Pheu Thai Party have violated Article 265 and 266 of the 2007 Constitution, under which MPs are barred from using their status or power to interfere, directly or indirectly, with the work of state officials for their own benefit or of others. The seven targeted government MPs include Justice Minister Police General Pracha Promnog,Samut Prakan MP Worachai Kemma, Uttaradit MP Thanusak Lekuthai, as well as Bangkok's MPs Karun Hosakul, Surachart Thienthong, Wicharn Meechainant and Jirayu Huangsap. According to the Senate Speaker, the Senate Secretariat will take no more than 30 days to examine the legitimacy of the petition and will then forward it to the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further probes with its recommendations later sent back to the Senate. Jurin said that the opposition whips have also resolved to lodge a no confidence motion against the incumbent justice minister, who also heads the government's Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), for alleged unconstitutional failure in performing his duties and corruption. (TNA)