Democrats to sue Thaksin, TRT

Published on February 3, 2005

The Democrat Party intends to file a complaint accusing Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the Thai Rak Thai Party of defamation and breaking election laws, the party leader said yesterday.

Banyat Bantadtan said he had assigned the party’s election director, Pheeraphan Sarirattawi-pak, to file complaints against Thaksin, his party, its spokesman Suranant Vejjajiva and Klong Toei MP candidate Sitha Thiwari for allegedly breaking election law by defaming the Democrats.

He said the offence was punishable by dissolution of the offending political party.

Banyat was referring to the “sticker controversy’’ in which Thai Rak Thai accused the Democrats of violating the Publishing Act by reproducing the words of the Royal family without seeking Royal permission. The Democrats were also accused of printing the material without seeking permission from the police.

“Thai Rak Thai committed an electoral offence because it made false statements accusing the Democrats of distorting Their Majesty’s speech in order to destroy the Democrat Party,’’ Banyat said.

Pheeraphan said he would file the complaint at the Criminal Court.

The Democrats will also file complaints against Pol Maj-General Kosin Hinthao, city police bureau 5 chief, for breaking provision 101/1 of the election law.

The law stipulates that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing in order to mislead others that

MP candidates violated or did not conform to the election law and the Constitution, shall receive up to two years in prison and a fine of Bt40,000, and have their election rights revoked for five years.

If the party leader conspires to the offence, the party is regarded as posing a national security threat. Thaksin said the Democrats’ move would not affect his party’s chances at the polls.

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