The Election Commission on Tuesday resolved not to consider the
caretaker government’s request that it be allowed to seek additional loans
worth 130 billion baht to pay farmers owed money under the rice-pledging
scheme, saying it has no authority to do so.
The
EC’s decision came after caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister
Kittiratt Na-Ranong met the five election commissioners to clarify the
government's plan to borrow money from financial institutions to pay farmers
involved in the scheme.
Many
rice farmers are angry that payments for rice sold to government have been delayed,
sparking protests across the country. Some have demanded that government pay up
or return rice sold into the initiative.
Ministers
are unable to sign off funds to pay farmers, because the current government is
running the country in a caretaker capacity and must defer major spending
decisions to the EC.
But EC
secretary-general Puchong Nutrawong said the commission has no choice but to
turn down the caretaker government's request to borrow money to pay farmers.
He said
the law states that a caretaker cabinet is prohibited from approving any work
or project, or creating a binding commitment upon the next government, and
shall not exploit state resources or personnel for any act which may affect an
election.
He
added that Section 181 of the constitution is clear that no exceptions can be
made to this, so the EC authority has no authority to consider the loan
request.
Mr
Puchong said whether to proceed with further loans to finance the rice-pledging
scheme is the government’s decision, but warned that it must take
responsibility for its actions if an agency rules in future that it violated
the constitution.
(bangkokpost.com)