Special report: Situation in Thailand

Special report: Crisis in Thailand

Special report: Snap general election in Thailand

Special report: Thai deputy PM appointed caretaker PM

    BANGKOK, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The former three election commissioners of Thailand on Friday got another two year jail term for malfeasance, adding to their sentences of four-year term each for misconducting the April election, a local media reported.

    A court found former Election Commission (EC) chairman Vasana Puemlarp, commissioners Prinya Nakchudtree and Veerachai Naewboonnien guilty for delaying actions against the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) related to April 2 election, according to newspaper The Nation.

    Besides two-year jail term, the court also revoked the defendants' election right for ten years.

    The indict was filed by Suthep Thaugsuban, Secretary-General of the main opposition Democrat Party, who alleged that the three people violated Article 157 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits state officials from committing malfeasance and nonfeasance, by delaying an investigation against the TRT for one month after he filed a complaint against TRT.

    Suthep then accused TRT with bankrolling two parties, Thai Ground and Pattana Chat Thai, to contest the April 2 election to help some TRT candidates evade the election requirement to obtain at least 20 percent eligible votes for a single contesting party.

    Suthep also alleged that the three committed negligence of duty for failing to take legal action against the TRT after an investigation panel found grounds to believe that the TRT had bankrolled the two parties.

    Earlier, the three were sentenced to four-year imprisonment for unlawfully handling of a by-election after the April 2 election by registering additional candidates.

    The Thai Senate elected 5 new election commissioners last Friday to organize the upcoming general election, set for Oct. 15 but likely to be delayed. Enditem