Pheu Thai to act against Abhisit

The Pheu Thai Party will today launch a fresh battle against the government by lodging a complaint with the anti-graft agency over Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's SMS blitz, and an alleged Bt80 million donation from a business group in exchange for a Cabinet position.

Suraphong Towichakchaikul, a Pheu Thai MP from Chiang Mai, said yesterday the public relations campaign through texting that Finance Minister Korn Chativanij asked the mobile phone operators to carry out for Abhisit, had cost the companies millions of baht.

The SMS operation for True Move alone ran to more than Bt10 million, he said.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission's law prohibits politicians from accepting any more than Bt3,000, he said.

It seemed the ruling Democrat Party did not pay for Abhisit's message, he said, and getting benefits from such activities was against the law.

The Bt80 million contribution from Virachai Virameteekul in return for a ministerial portfolio was also unconstitutional, he said.

Niphit Intrasombat, the Democrat MP from Pattalung who was disappointed in the Cabinet assignments, had claimed he was passed over for the post because Virachai offered money to a party executive.

"The money was spent to buy support from members of parliament in the new government," Suraphong said. Article 68 prohibits formation of the government in undemocratic ways, he said.

Somchai Petprasert, a Pheu Thai MP from Nakhon Ratchasima, |said he would summon the Defence Ministry's permanent secretary |and commanders to testify to the House military committee tomorrow over the role of the Army in politics.

The military reportedly had a significant hand in helping the Democrats get defecting MPs from the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra camp to form the new government under Abhisit.

Permanent Secretary Apichart Songkitti said he was ready to appear before the committee, as the military has no role in the new government's formation.

Supreme Commander General Songkitti Jaggabatara said he did not receive an invitation from the panel but was ready to answer questions, as the military did nothing wrong.

"We work within the constitutional framework," he told repor-|ters.