EC subpanels recommend shelving of MPs' shareAttayuth Butrsripoom

The controversy was partly to blame for the EC on Tuesday postponing its decision against 44 Pheu Thai and government-coalition MPs, the source said.

Members of both subpanels considering the cases agreed Article 265 of the Constitution did not prohibit MPs from keeping shares they already held before taking up their posts. This is different from Article 269, which specifically prohibits the prime minister and ministers from being partners in companies or retaining shares.

Article 269 says the prime minister and ministers must leave their shares in the hands of legal entities to manage if they still wanted to receive profits from them.

This has led to questions about whether the EC uses a double standard when considering cases involving senators and MPs.

The EC last week ruled to disqualify 16 senators holding shares in media companies or companies linked to state concessions.

The EC subcommittee considering the senators' cases voted 3:2 to drop the cases, but the EC disagreed.

EC members ordered the panels considering the cases of the 44 MPs to find more evidence and investigate those who had not clarified themselves.

Meanwhile, secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiygarn said a panel studying the cases of another 28 Democrats had finished its work and would submit a report to him on Monday, the day before the next EC meeting.