New Thai PM Somchai faces legal challenge
BANGKOK, Sept 29 (Reuters) - A Thai senator lodged a formal complaint against Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Monday, alleging he had broken the constitution by owning shares in a company that holds a concession from a state firm.
Ruangkrai Leekijwatana, who toppled Somchai's predecessor, Samak Sundaravej, with a similar legal challenge, filed his complaint with the Election Commission but said he would also ask the Constitutional Court to look into it.
"I want the Election Commission to investigate if the prime minister should be disqualified for violating the constitution," he told reporters after submitting his petition.
His complaint centres on Somchai's ownership of shares in Internet company CS Loxinfo CSL.BK, which has a long-term contract with state telephone firm CAT Telecom to provide satellite Internet services.
The 2007 constitution, drawn up by the army after a 2006 coup against telecoms billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, bars any elected politician from holding shares in a company that has a contract with a state firm.
Somchai, who is also Thaksin's brother-in-law, brushed off the allegation.
"Before I took this job, I strictly followed every law," he told reporters on Sunday after a hostile reception from an anti-government crowd at a Bangkok shopping mall.
Samak was removed from office earlier this month after being found guilty of a conflict of interest for hosting cooking shows on commercial television while in office. (Reporting by Chalathip Thirasoonthrakul; Writing by Nopporn Wong-Anan; Editing by Ed Cropley and Alex Richardson)
