Charter Court president “heavy-hearted” over PM’s leaked conversation case

President of the Constitutional Court Nakharin Mektrairat has admitted that he feels “heavy-hearted’ that the court will have to consider the case regarding the leaked conversation between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.

Nevertheless, he says that the court has to perform its duty even though the outcome of the case may have far-reaching repercussions.

The Constitutional Court has scheduled a meeting on July 1, brought forward from July 8, to consider several issues, one of which is the petition filed by Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajja, asking the court to rule whether Paetongtarn’s premiership should be terminated, in accordance with Sections 160 (4) and (5) of the charter, over the conversation controversy.

Nakharin said that, on July 1st, if the Senate Speaker’s petition is on the agenda, the court will decide whether or not to accept the case adding, however, that he has not yet seen the details.

If the court accepts the case, he says that it is not always necessary for the court to suspend the prime minister from performing her duties while the case is still pending. He cited a few previous cases in which the court did not suspend the accused.

He also says that there is no rule stating that the court has to accelerate consideration of a case which is of significant public interest adding, however, that the court has not been foot-dragging either.

Meanwhile, a leader of the planned June 28 mass protest at the Victory Monument in Bangkok, Panthep Puapongpan, said yesterday that the Yam Fao Paendin Foundation has received about 10 million baht in public donations so far to fund the protest.

He said donations are being accepted until June 29th.

Any amount left over, after the protest expenses are paid, will be donated to or used to buy necessary items for the Second Army Region, which has jurisdiction in several north-eastern provinces sharing a common border with Cambodia.