Nopparuj Worachitwutthikul, an ex-leader of the anti-2006 coup group, gave the Election Commission (EC) an ultimatum until June 28 to forward Pita’s alleged ITV shareholding case to the Constitutional Court. He vowed to garner support from MPs and senators should the EC fail to meet his demands. Nopparuj, whose White Pigeons group actively opposed the 2006 coup, believes that Pita is ineligible to participate in the May 14 election due to his shares in ITV, which he claims is still an operational media firm.
Previously, another activist, Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, had approached the EC to disqualify Pita as a candidate in the election for allegedly possessing 42,000 shares in ITV Plc. However, the EC has disregarded the complaint and recognized Pita as a qualified contender. That being said, the EC ordered an investigation into whether Pita violated Article 151 of the MPs election act by registering as an election candidate well-aware of his disqualification.
According to Nopparuj, the circumstances warrant forwarding Pita’s case to the Constitutional Court, as all prerequisites have been met. He argued that possessing even a single share in a media firm would disqualify an individual from the election, but Pita held 42,000 shares. Furthermore, Nopparuj states that the Business Development Department has confirmed ITV’s active status as a company.
Nopparuj warned that failure to bring the case to the Constitutional Court could lead to unresolved issues and potential controversies if Pita’s name is later submitted to His Majesty the King for a royal appointment as the next prime minister. Consequently, if the EC refuses to forward the case to the Constitutional Court by June 28, Nopparuj will approach senators Somchai Sawaengkarn and Seri Suwanphanon to solicit their backing in collecting senators’ signatures to push the case to the court for judgment.
Pita, on the other hand, has maintained that his shareholding is solely in his capacity as the executor of his father’s estate and that ITV is no longer a media company.
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