The main opposition People's Party is close to collecting enough signatures from its MPs to initiate a petition to remove Suchart Trakulkasemsuk as National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) president, PP leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said.
The party denies that the move is an act of revenge against the NACC for considering accepting a case in which some 44 former MPs of the now-defunct Move Forward Party are accused of supporting a proposal to amend the lese majeste law.
Yesterday, Mr Natthaphong said the party needs only a few more MPs to sign the petition, expecting the campaign itself to be wrapped up this week.
Once completed, the petition will be handed over to Parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, Mr Natthaphong said.
Mr Natthaphong said that he does not think Mr Wan would stall or hold up the petition once it has been presented to him, in light of Mr Suchart's campaign to remove Mr Wan from his position as House president.
Mr Suchart was appointed as NACC president after a leaked video clip allegedly showed a conversation between Mr Suchart and Mr Wan about the NACC election and Mr Suchart's concern about a complaint submitted to Mr Wan by former deputy police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.
Mr Wan has accused Pol Gen Surachate of secretly recording the conversation.
Mr Natthaphong said yesterday that if Mr Wan dragged his feet over the petition, parliament might request the Council of State, the government's legal arm, to conduct a probe against the parliament president.
"But we don't want to over-speculate at this point," he said. "We'll be watching how the petition pans out."
