Democrat Party to defend Bangkok governor in Court

BANGKOK, March 12 (TNA) - The Democrat Party has vowed to defend its Bangkok governor in the Court of Appeal, after the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) resolved on Tuesday afternoon to seek the court's order to disqualify incumbent Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra for alleged violating the local election law. Democrat Party deputy leader Ong-art Klampaibul told journalists on Wednesday that his party is gathering evidence for the defence and is waiting for the EC to send the matter to the Court of Appeal. The EC voted 3:2 to give a "yellow card" to M.R. Sukhumbhand, reasoning that the incumbent Democrat Bangkok governor and his supporters slandered the Pheu Thai Party in the past Bangkok gubernatorial election. Ong-art insisted that his party does not have a policy to slander any other political party in its vote campaigns and its campaigners only spoke facts. Wasant Meewong, spokesman of the Bangkok governor, said that M.R. Sukhumbhand arrived to work at the City Hall as usual and appeared calm, but assigning his team of lawyers to prepare documents for his defence in the court. Police General Pongsapat Pongcharoen, Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), who competed with M.R. Sukhumbhand in the governor election last year, opined it is good for all parties to accept the EC's decision and if the court ordered a new gubernatorial election, he would see if his Pheu Thai Party would field him in the contest again. (TNA)