Bangkok: The Constitutional Court rejected a petition to remove Pirapan Salirathavipak from his position as Energy Minister. The Court unanimously decided not to accept the petition, as the petitioner, Sonthiya Sawatdee, was deemed ineligible to submit it.
According to Thai News Agency, the petition filed by Mr. Sonthiya Sawatdee sought the Court's consideration under Section 213 of the Constitution, alleging that Mr. Pirapan Salirathavipak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, and his wife held shares in a company in violation of Section 187 of the Constitution. The petition also accused them of nominating company directors to regulatory agency positions, which was claimed to demonstrate a lack of honesty and serious ethical violations under Sections 160 (4) and (5) of the Constitution. The court was asked to determine whether Minister Pirapan's status had ended in accordance with Section 170, paragraph one (4) and (5).
The Constitutional Court noted that the petition was filed with the Ombudsman under Section 231 (1) of the Constitution, rather than Section 213, and there was no evidence of direct violation of the petitioner's rights or liberties. The Court explained that a petition for the termination of ministerial status under Section 170 requires that at least one-tenth of the total number of members of the House of Representatives or the Senate submit the petition to the President of their respective House. This process, as outlined by the Constitution and its organic law, must be followed for the Constitutional Court to consider such a petition. Given these conditions, the petitioner did not have the standing to file under Section 213, leading to the Court's decision to dismiss the petition.