Thai ruling party survives second dissolution case

Dec 9, 2010, 6:18 GMT

Bangkok - Thailand's ruling Democrat Party escaped dissolution for the second time in recent weeks Thursday when the Constitutional Court ruled 4-3 to dismiss an electoral fraud case.

The ruling followed a similar judgement on November 29 in which the court said a petition brought by the Election Commission against the Democrats was unlawful.

If the Democrats, Thailand's oldest political party, had been found guilty in either case it would have been dissolved and Abhisit Vejjajiva, its leader and current prime minister, would have had to step down.

In addition, Abhisit and other senior Democrats would have been barred from politics for five years.

The first case against the Democrats charged that it misused a 29-million-baht (1-million-dollar) public grant during its unsuccessful campaign to win power in the 2005 general election.

The case dismissed on Thursday alleged that the Democrats received 258 million baht in illegal donations from cement company TPI Polene Pcl.

Critics complained of a double standard by the court. In 2007, the court dissolved the Thai Rak Thai party, led by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, on electoral fraud charges. Thaksin and over 100 other party members were barred from politics for five years.

Thaksin was overthrown in a coup in 2006 and is currently living abroad, avoiding a 2008 prison sentence for corruption.

Thai Rak Thai's successor, the Puea Thai party, also backed by Thaksin, is currently the main opposition party and due to be pitted against the Democrats in elections expected next year.

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