EC to appoint two panels on violation charges

EC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiygarn said the EC had to find out which of the companies had concessions or monopoly contracts with the state. The panels will also check how the MPs and senators benefited from holding those shares.

"Do not worry too much about the ban because it is not new," he said. "The 1997 Constitution also carried the same ban. There should not be any problem. It seems like a big issue because some people are blowing it out of proportion."

The People Power Party on Monday filed a petition with the Election Commission to disqualify 27 Democrat MPs and 33 senators for holding shares in the media and companies that have state concessions.

It was also discovered that 42 MPs of the ruling coalition parties were also suspected to have violated the ban including 27 PPP MPs, four Puea Pandin Party MPs, one Matchima Thipataya Party MP, Pracharat Party leader Snoh Thienthong and one MP, three Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party MPs and six Chart Thai Party MPs including party leader Banharn Silapa-archa.

Democrat Party deputy spokesman Sathit Pitutecha said the party would seek impeachment against House Speaker Chai Chidchob for violating provision 265 (2) of the Constitution by holding shares in a company that operates a concession.

He said Chai's case was different from the Democrats' because Democrat MPs held shares in companies listed on the stock market.

The Democrats are deciding on whether to launch an impeachment motion on the parties or the MPs. He said he would gather at least one tenth of the total MPs as required by the Constitution to launch an impeachment proceeding.