Democrats file complaint over Thaksin VCDs

General News - Tuesday December 11, 2007

RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Democrats file complaint over Thaksin VCDs

PPP denies giving out video of former PM

Democrat party candidates in Nakhon Phanom have lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), alleging fraud by two People Power party (PPP) candidates, one a party executive, for distributing VCDs featuring a speech to voters by deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

PPP secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee insisted his party did not produce or distribute the VCDs, but conceded that the person who produced the VCDs is a politician linked to the 111 banned executives of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party.

''Should we [PPP] be held responsible if some slanderers have handed out the VCDs to the public?'' said Mr Surapong.

The VCDs, featuring the deposed prime minister urging voters in the Northeast to support the PPP, could lead to the dissolution of the party if it is proved it distributed the recordings. Mr Thaksin is among the 111 Thai Rak Thai party executives banned from politics for five years and it is illegal for the PPP to allow him to campaign for the party.

The EC will today discuss the distribution of the VCDs. Veera Somkwamkid, the secretary-general of the People's Network against Corruption, raised the issue on Friday and said he would file a complaint with the EC today.

Mr Veera said yesterday there is another video being circulated featuring Mr Thaksin's interview in Hong Kong with a satellite TV station.

In the clip Mr Thaksin urged people to vote for the PPP, he said. Mr Veera claimed the videos were produced by former TRT executives linked to the PPP.

The EC is waiting for complaints about the controversial VCD before setting up a committee to look into the case.

However Suksan Chaithes and Nimit Udomkal, the Democrat candidates in constituency 1 of Nakhon Phanom, yesterday filed a complaint with the Nakhon Phanom EC.

Mr Suksan also handed over a copy of a VCD titled Nung Pee Tee Hai Pai (One Year Away), featuring Mr Thaksin's speech encouraging people to vote for the PPP and also speeches by PPP leader Samak Sundaravej and PPP proportional representation candidate Chalerm Yubamrung, to the provincial EC as evidence.

The two Democrats claimed that PPP candidates, including PPP executive Dr Prasong Buranapong and Supachai Phosu, had the VCDs distributed to voters during their campaigns at Ban Chanod Yai temple in Nakhon Phanom's Muang district on Saturday.

Mr Suksan said a local resident attending the PPP candidates' speeches at the Ban Chanod Yai temple handed him the VCD he gave to the provincial EC.

An EC source said Election Commission secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn yesterday ordered EC officers to transcribe Mr Thaksin's speech in the VCD.

''After watching the VCD, it seemed that several parts of the speech could be considered as luring or soliciting support for the PPP. This could breach the election law by giving away valuables as incentives,'' said the source.

If the EC has sufficient evidence that any party member colludes in election fraud in favour of any political party in any election zone, the EC has the authority to nullify ballots cast for the party's proportional representation candidates in the zone, he said.

PPP leader Mr Samak yesterday denied his party's involvement in the distribution of the VCDs and urged the EC to treat the allegation against his party the same as the secret paper controversy against the Council for National Security.

By : Bangkok Post