EC disqualifies Jatuporn

The Election Commission has disqualified Jatuporn Prompan as a Pheu Thai Party list MP on the grounds he failed to vote in the July 3 general election.

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EC strips Jatuporn of his status as MP

Case raises legal tangle for Constitution Court
  
Mongkol Bangprapa & Nattaya Chetchotiros

Jatuporn Prompan

The Election Commission has disqualified Jatuporn Prompan as a Pheu Thai Party list MP on the grounds he failed to vote in the July 3 general election.

Acting EC secretary-general Somchart Jesrichai yesterday said the EC voted 4 to 1 to terminate Mr Jatuporn's status an an MP.

The majority of the commissioners also decided to seek a legal interpretation of the termination of Mr Jatuporn's MP status from the Constitution Court. The request for interpretation will be forwarded through House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont.

The majority of the commissioners felt the interpretation was needed because the definition of the end of Mr Jatuporn's status as an MP might still be open to debate under the Political Parties Act.

Taking the act's articles into account, the EC has decided it will need the court to rule when Mr Jatuporn's MP status should end.

One of the majority commissioners said the dissolving of an MP's status is specified in the constitution.

The Constitution Court's interpretation would determine once and for all whether or not the definition of ending an MP's status as it appears in the act and the constitution are inconsistent, clarifying any lingering legal questions.

Mr Jatuporn faced a complaint that he was not a Pheu Thai Party member when he applied to run in the July 3 poll because he was in jail at the time.

Mr Jatuporn was detained in Bangkok Remand Prison on terrorism charges related to last year's red shirt protests. He also faces a lese majeste charge over comments made during a speech at a United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) rally on April 10 this year.

His request to leave the prison to vote in the July 3 poll was denied.

His incarceration meant he was unable to vote, which rendered him ineligible to take his seat in parliament.

The EC had earlier decided to endorse Mr Jatuporn's MP status pending its consideration of the complaint.

Sodsri Satayathum, the minority commissioner, said she felt Mr Jatuporn should keep his MP status.

She believed that if Mr Jatuporn retained his membership of Pheu Thai, then he also could maintain his status as MP.

Ms Sodsri said Pheu Thai secretary-general Charupong Ruangsuwan had confirmed Mr Jatuporn was a full member of the party and therefore he was still an MP.

Mr Jatuporn complied with the legal requirement that he remain a member of a single political party for a continuous period up to the day of the election.

The fact that Mr Jatuporn was imprisoned by a court order on the election day did not result in the loss of his MP status, said Ms Sodsri.

Pheu Thai list MP Korkaew Pikulthong, who is also a UDD core-leader, said Mr Jatuporn's disqualification was a major political issue. It was not about Mr Jatuporn losing his MP seat but an apparent effort by anti-Jatuporn groups to remove him from parliament.

Mr Jatuporn had filed for bail so he could vote. But his request was rejected.

"It will be tough to create national reconciliation now. This [disqualification] is far from normal. He had wanted to go and vote," Mr Korkaew said.

He said a constitutional amendment may be necessary to get rid of the independent agencies which have become political instruments.

He said he believed the Constitution Court would eventually rule to strip Mr Jatuporn of his MP status.

strip – to take something away from someone ถอน, ยึด
status – official or legal position สถานภาพ
legal – relating to the law or lawyers เกี่ยวกับกฎหมาย
tangle – something very complicated and difficult to deal with  เรื่องซับซ้อน เรื่องยุ่งเหยิง
constitution – the set of laws and basic principles that a country in governed by รัฐธรรมนูญ
disqualify – to not allow someone to do something because they have committed an offence ไม่มีคุณสมบัติพอ
party list (proportional representation system) – a system that gives each party in an election a number of seats in relation to the number of votes its candidates receive ระบบสัดส่วน, ระบบปาร์ตี้ลิสต์
acting – doing the work of the usual person in a particular job while they are not there, or until a new person starts ที่รักษาการแทน
grounds – reasons for saying or doing something เหตุผล
terminate – to end or stop something ทำให้สิ้นสุด
majority – more than 50 percent of a group เสียงส่วนใหญ่
interpretation – an explanation of the meaning or importance of something การตีความ
forward – to send onwards  ส่งต่อ
definition – what an idea, etc. means การกำหนด, คำอธิบายความหมาย
open to debate – likely to cause disagreement
Act – a law passed by a country’s government พ.ร.บ. พระราชบัญญัติ
article – part of a legal document, agreement or law that deals with a particular point มาตรา
rule – (of a court or other group with similar authority) to make and announce a decision ตัดสิน, พิพากษา, ชี้ขาด
dissolve – to officially end สิ้นสุด, ยุติ
specify – to explain something in an exact and detailed way ระบุ  ชี้แจงรายละเอียด
determine – to decide what will be done or happen กำหนด
inconsistent – if two statements, etc. are inconsistent, or one is inconsistent with the other, they cannot both be true because they give the facts in a different way; tending to change too often; not staying the same ซึ่งขัดแย้งกัน, ซึ่งไม่สอดคล้องกัน
clarify – to explain something more clearly so that it is easier to understand  แจกแจง   ชี้แจง
lingering – lasting of a long time, especially when this is unpleasant or not necessary ที่อ้อยอิ่ง ยืดเยื้อมานาน
complaint – when someone says that something is wrong or not satisfactory การร้องเรียน
apply – to make a formal request for permission to do or have something ขอ
detained – kept in a place and not allowed to leave กักตัว ควบคุมตัวหรือฝากขัง
remand prison – a place where people are kept while they wait for the date of their trial สถานที่ขังระหว่างรอการพิจารณาคดี
terrorism – the use of violence to achieve political aims การใช้ความรุนแรงเพื่อข้อเรียกร้องทางการเมือง
charge – an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime ข้อหา
lese majeste – the crime of offending, threatening or showing disrespect for a member of the royal family หมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ
United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) – the group originally formed to demonstrate against the 2006 coup and which supported the Somchai Wongsawat government against the PAD and which led the fight against the Abhisit government. They are known for wearing red shirts แนวร่วมประชาธิปไตยต่อต้านเผด็จการแห่งชาต
rally – a large public gathering of people to support someone or to protest against something การชุมนุม
deny – to not allow someone to have or do something ไม่ยอมรับ, ปฏิเสธ
incarceration – keeping someone in a prison การขัง
render – make or cause to be ทำให้
ineligible – not having the necessary qualifications to have or to do something ซึ่งขาดคุณสมบัติ
endorse – to express support for something แสดงความเห็นชอบ
pending – waiting to be dealt with, settled or completed ยังค้างอยู่, ซึ่งยังไม่จบสิ้น, อยู่ในระหว่าง
consideration – giving careful thought to something before making a decision การคิดพิจารณา
minority – involving less than half of a group เสียงส่วนน้อย
retain – to keep รักษา
maintain – to retain; to keep รักษา
comply – to obey a rule or law or do what someone asks you to do  ปฏิบัติตาม (กฎหมาย, ข้อเสนอ, etc.)
imprisoned – in a prison or another place from which a person cannot escape ถูกขัง
core leader – one of the most active or most important leaders of a group แกนนำ
issue – matter; a subject that people discuss or argue about  ประเด็น
apparent – seeming to be something although it may not be real ดูเหมือนว่า, ตามที่เห็นภายนอก
file – to take official action like making a complaint  ยื่นคำร้อง
bail – money that is given to a court when someone is allowed to stay out of prison until their trial. If they do not return for the trial, the court keeps the money  เงินประกัน; การประกันตัว
reject – to not agree with a request, offer or proposal ปฏิเสธ ไม่ยอมรับ
tough – difficult to do or to deal with ยาก  ยากลำบาก
reconciliation – the process of creating a new and friendly relationship again with someone you argued with or fought with การปรองดอง
normal – typical, usual or ordinary; what you would expect ภาวะปกติ
amendment – a change made to a law or agreement, in this case, to the constitution การแก้ไขกฎหมาย ในที่นี้หมายถึงการแก้ไขรัฐธรรมนูญ
instrument – a person who is used and controlled by  somebody/something that is more powerful เครื่องมือ
eventually – at the end of a period of time or at the end of a process ในที่สุด