Thai court to hand down judgment on ruling party's future

Nov 29, 2010, 4:42 GMT

Bangkok - Thailand's Democrat Party, the country's oldest political party and leader of the current coalition government, could face dissolution after a electoral fraud case which entered its final arguments Monday.

The prosecution presented its arguments to the final hearing before the Constitutional Court early Monday on charges that the Democrat Party misused 29 million baht (960,000 dollars) during their unsuccessful campaign to win power in the 2005 general election.Party members were scheduled to make their closing statements later in the day.

The court has until Friday to reach a verdict but most observers expect a quicker decision, possibly as early as Monday.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said he will not fight whatever decision the court hands down.

Whatever the ruling, the prime minister has indicated he will dissolve parliament soon to hold an election early next year. His government's term expires on December 23, 2011.

The election would pit the Democrats against Puea Thai, the main opposition party, whose de-facto leader is fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin, a billionaire businessman who introduced populist policies to Thailand's existing system of money politics, won the 2001 and 2005 general elections by large margins with his former party, Thai Rak Thai.

Thai Rak Thai was dissolved in 2007 on charges of committing election fraud, and 111 of its executives were banned from politics for five years, including Thaksin, who now lives in self-exile after a conviction for abuse of power.

Chaturon Chaisaeng, a veteran politician and one of the banned Thai Rak Thai members told said the court has come under pressure from the establishment to rule in favour of the Democrats.

'If the party is dissolved it means the establishment can't get a hold of the Constitutional Court,' he said.

Kraisak Choonhavan, a senior member of the Democrat Party, said the case against the party has been overblown.

'The case against the Democrats is not a repeat of the cases against the other parties. It's not like we were caught with our hands in the cookie jar. It was a question of mis-reporting the expenses. Big deal,' he said.

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