Anger, confusion and doubt at Democrat Party trial

A prosecution witness became confused and very angry during yesterday's hearing of the electoral fraud case against the Democrat Party in the Constitutional Tribunal.

Another witness claimed he only got his information from the media.

And a representative for the Democrats said some of the witnesses, while not politicians, had connections with the Thai Rak Thai Party.

Yesterday was the second hearing for the electoral fraud case against the Democrat and Progressive Democratic parties.

The case stems from the election in April last year. The Democrat Party is accused of hiring candidates from the Progressive Democratic Party to run in the ballot in Trang. The Democrats are also accused of hiring the leader of Better Life Party to frame Thai Rak Thai.

Many Thai Rak Thai candidates who stood in constituencies around the country failed to win seats after the April 2 poll because, as sole candidates without any rivals - because major opposition parties boycotted the election - they failed to get the required minimum of 20 per cent of total votes. If other candidates contested the same constituency, those who received the most votes had a chance to win without the minimum vote requirement applying.

Yesterday, Budsayamas Klinpetch, owner and editor of the local newspaper Trang Naewna, said she wasn't sure if she was a member of Thai Rak Thai Party, as she formerly testified to the former Election Commission.

Budsayamas said she had been a member of the New Aspiration Party but learned later that her name was listed as a Thai Rak Thai member since 2004, without her applying to the party. The New Aspiration Party was merged with Thai Rak Thai in 2001.

Democrat representative Nipit Intarasombat said Budsayamas was the only person to hear a conversation about irregularities at the candidate registration in Trang.

Budsayamas said some television reporters were with her at the venue but she could not remember clearly who was there at the time.

Her newspaper, which was quoted by a witness in the case, printed the headline, "Vicious technique frames TRT".

Nipit said the headline implicitly accused the Democrats and asked her to give details to support the headline.

But she claimed the headline was written to attract readers and as an editor she could create any headline she wanted.

And while she knew Thai Rak Thai former MP Kraisin Totabtiang, she said she was never sponsored by the Thai Rak Thai Party [to write the report].

Throughout the hearing she appeared irritable and often spoke angrily.

Prosecution witness Tawee Surabarn was the Thai Rak Thai candidate for Trang who filed a complaint against the Democrats alleging they hired Progressive Democratic Party candidates to run in the election and to frame Thai Rak Thai. But yesterday he said he only heard about people being hired by the Democrats from the media.

Tawee was a Thai Rak Thai party-list MP, but as the only candidate in the constituency failed to get the minimum 20 per cent votes in the April 2 poll. He also failed to get most votes in a by-election on April 23 against other candidates.

Democrat representative Nipit Intarasombat tried to show the Tribunal that Tawee, a former Democrat MP, had conflicts with the Democrats.

Tawee denied this, but conceded the Thai Rak Thai Party promised to give him a better opportunity, and would reward him if he got a seat for the party in Trang.

Watwarit Tantipirom, leader of the Better Life Party, said he was threatened by the Democrats, including Thaikorn Polsuwan, who forced him to frame Thai Rak Thai.

He said he then asked for help from Maj-General Prasit Tamdee, a police officer he knew in Chaiyaphum. He said Prasit told Police Lt-Colonel Ruthapol Naowarat to accompany him (Watwarit) and secretly record a video of a conversation between Thaikorn and Watwarit at Bangkok's Grand Hotel.

Democrat representative Taweesak Na Takuatung asked why Watwarit had asked for help from police officers in Chaiyaphum when his home was in Nakhon Ratchasima. He also questioned if Prasit and Ruthapol had links with a former Thai Rak Thai Buri Ram MP, as both of them had worked in Buri Ram for some time.

Taweesak also pointed out that the transcript of the recording made by Ruthapol and his aides filed to the tribunal came in two versions of different length.

Tribunal judge Vichai Chuenchompoonut asked whether Ruthapol knew about the scope of his duties and authority when he was stationed in Chaiyaphum, as he had also investigated the electoral case in Bangkok.

Ruthapol said he did as ordered by Prasit.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation Thailand
Sunday January 28, 2007