Thai provisional legislature accepts impeachment bid against former lawmakers

Thailand's National Legislative Assembly (NLA), the interim legislature, on Thursday decided to accept an impeachment bid against two former legislators.

The NLA voted 85-75, with 15 abstentions, to accept the impeachment motion against former Senate speaker Nikhom Wairatpanich and former House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon.

The motion was filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) against the two politicians for their role in passing a charter amendment to change the composition of the Senate last September. The amendment was ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court later in November.

The NACC has also recommended the NLA impeach former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for alleged dereliction of duty in failing to stop corruption and losses in a controversial rice- pledging scheme.

The NLA is set to decide on Nov. 12 whether to accept the impeachment request, and if it is accepted, impeachment proceedings will take no more than 45 days.

If impeached, Yingluck could face a five-year ban from politics.

In the meantime, the NACC has yet to reach an agreement with the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) on whether there are sufficient grounds for pressing charges against Yingluck in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

The NACC and OAG are scheduled to meet for the third time on Nov. 7 to settle their differences concerning the case.