Thailand's ruling party survives dissolution case (Roundup)

Nov 29, 2010, 11:49 GMT

Bangkok - Thailand's oldest political party and leader of the current coalition government survived a dissolution case Monday when it was acquitted by the Constitutional Court of electoral fraud.

After the ruling, Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said his government would focus on reconciliation and the urgent matter of restoring areas devastated by recent flooding.

The judges in the closely watched case voted 4-2 for acquittal.

The ruling was certain to anger some critics of the establishment-friendly coalition government, but opposition Peua Thai party spokesman Prompong Nopparit called it 'not unexpected.'

The case stemmed from charges that the Democrat Party misused 29 million baht (960,000 dollars) during an unsuccessful campaign to win power in the 2005 general election.

The court ruled the Election Commission had not followed proper procedures in filing the petition against the party.

Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai, a former prime minister, argued that the Peua Thai party used false information and pressured the Election Commission to pursue the case.

Vejjajiva earlier said that whatever the ruling, he would dissolve parliament soon to hold an election. His government's term expires on December 23, 2011.

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

Thaksin, a billionaire businessman and populist politician, won the 2001 and 2005 general elections by large margins with his former party, Thai Rak Thai.

That party was dissolved in 2007 after being convicted of election fraud, and 111 of its executives were banned from politics for five years, including Thaksin, who fled the country to avoid prison for a conviction of abuse of power.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand index closed up 1.74 per cent Monday, in part buoyed by the court case. It closed at 1,009, up 17.29 points.

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