Thailand impeaches former PM Shiwatra

Bangkok, January 23: Former Thailand prime minister Yingluck Shiwatra was impeached by the acting Thai parliament on Friday for dereliction of duty in a controversial rice subsidy scheme. The decision was approved 190–18, with eight abstentions in Thailand’s tiol Legislative Assembly (NLA), Xinhua reported. The vote against the 47–year–old Shiwatra bans her from politics for five years.

Earlier in the day, the office of the attorney general (OAG) announced that it would launch a crimil case against the former prime minister for her alleged involvement in the same rice scheme. The OAG said it would press charges against Shiwatra in the Thai Supreme Court’s crimil division for holders of political positions, adding that there was sufficient evidence against the former prime minister. If found guilty, Shiwatra would face a prison term of a maximum 10 years.

Meanwhile, the NLA voted to reject impeachment recommendations against former Sete speaker Nikhom Wairatpanich and former House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon.

The tiol Anti–Corruption Commission had recommended the impeachment of the two politicians for their role in passing an amendment to change the composition of the Sete in September 2013. The amendment was later ruled unconstitutiol by the Constitutiol Court. Nikhom received 95 votes for impeachment, while Somsak got 100, both avoiding the required number of 132 in the 220–seat NLA. (IANS)

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com