The Constitution Court is due to meet this Wednesday to consider whether to accept the Election Commission’s petition for the court to rule on the parliamentary status of Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, vis a vis the iTV shareholding controversy.
Pita is accused of holding 42,000 shares in iTV, a media company, at the time he registered his electoral candidacy, which is a violation Sections 82, 101(6) and 98(3) of the Constitution.
According to procedure, if the Constitutional Court agrees to accept the case, after being convinced that the accusation has grounds, it can issue an injunction to stop Pita from performing his duty as an MP until it rules on the case.
After the issuance of the injunction, Pita has the right to defend himself before the court within 15 days of receiving the injunction.
The Constitutional Court’s schedule, to consider whether to accept the iTV shareholding case on Wednesday, coincides with the second joint sitting of the House and Senate to vote on Pita’s prime ministerial candidacy.
In the first joint sitting on July 13th, Pita failed to get the minimum 375 votes required from members of the two Houses to realise his prime ministerial ambition. He received 324 votes, 182 against and 199 abstentions. 44 senators or MPs were absent.
