BANGKOK, June 7 – The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on Thursday petitioned the president of the senate stating their intention to impeach seven constitution court judges who voted to consider the legality of the draft constitutional amendment and issued an injunction to suspend the parliamentary process until court makes its ruling.
The red shirt movement, led by chair Thida Thavornsreth, submitted the petition attached signatures to senate president Theeradej Meepian via his deputy Pornthip Lohveera Chanrattanapreeda.
The petition said the judges’ act was deemed a violation of the Constitution as Article 68 did not give the right to any particular person to directly petition the court regarding acts they might consider as being a threat to topple the constitutional monarchy, but must petition the attorney-general to investigate if there are sufficient legal grounds before forwarding it for the court’s deliberation.
The seven judges to be impeached by the UDD were court president Wasan Wasan Soypisudh, Jaran Pukditanakul, Charoon Intachan, Chalermpon Ake-uru, Nurak Marpraneet, Boonsong Kulbupar and Suphot Khaimook.
Ms Thida said the UDD initially planned to submit a one million signature petition seeking the impeachment of the judges and the name collecting process will take about one month.
The UDD chair however said the movement will first present a petition endorsed by about 30,000 persons to the senate president within two days.
Ms Thida reasserted the UDD latest move is not being done for the benefit of any particular person or group, but for the public interest.
The red shirts on Thursday also encamped at Parliament ahead of Friday’s joint House-Senate meeting amid a public dispute over the court’s authority.
House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont has put the court order on the agenda for discussion.
