Thai government supporters hold a rally
to protest against Thai Constitution Court's order to dissolve the three
ruling parties, in front of the Bangkok Intermediate Administrative Court
in Bangkok Dec. 2, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BANGKOK, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Constitution Court
on Tuesday ruled the three ruling parties in the coalition government-- People
Power Party (PPP), Chart Thai Party and Matchima Thipataya Party were guilty of
electoral fraud charges and ordered them to be dissolved.
All the three party's executives were banned from
electoral process for five years as punishment in line with the 2007
Constitution.
The verdict effectively removes Prime Minister
Somchai Wongsawat from his post as the government leader.
Somchai reacted calmly to the verdict by saying, "I
did my best to administer the country."
The verdict was handed down while Somchai was
chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai, which he made a temporary
government seat since his return from an APEC summit in Peru last Wednesday, as
a civil anti-government movement led by the People's Alliance for Democracy
(PAD) occupied the Government House, and then besieged the Suvarnabhumi and Don
Mueang airports in a showdown to topple his government, which the protesters
said was a proxy of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Somchai and his Cabinet was originally scheduled to
attend the military parade in central Bangkok in the afternoon, presided over by
the King and the Queen, as a tradition to celebrate the King's birthday on Dec.
5.
Chat Chonlaworn, who headed the nine judges of the
court, told the public via a live television broadcast saying that the ruling
was the only option the panel could have made in line with laws.
"No matter whether you are satisfied or not with the
verdict, we ask you to accept it," he said, pleading the public to remain calm
and respect the judicial process.
The Constitution Court began to read the verdict
against the three parties on electoral fraud charges at around 12:20 p.m. (0520
GMT) Tuesday after hearing the closing statements from both the prosecutors and
the defendants in the morning.
In the fraud case linked to PPP, the Court cited the
July 8 Supreme Court conviction of former House speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat,
also former deputy PPP leader, over vote-buying in last Dec. 23 general
election, which saw PPP win most votes, as the ground to disband the ruling
party.
Yongyuth was banned from electoral process for five
years.
Under Thailand's Election Law under the 2007
Constitution, if any executive member of a political party committed electoral
fraud, the party could be dissolved and its executive committee will be banned
from engaging in political activities for five years.
The Court then cited earlier rulings by the Election
Commission which held Chart Thai party executive Monthien Songpracha and
Sunthorn Wilawan of Matchima Thipataya guilty of electoral fraud as basis to
convict the two parties.
The nine presiding judges reached unanimous decisions
against PPP and Matchima, while voted eight-to-one to convict Chart Thai.
The two parties were among the five political parties
that partnered with the PPP to form the coalition government, then headed by
Samak Sundaradej this February. Samak was removed in September over a court
verdict for hosting a TV cooking show while in office.
The verdict reading process took only some 40 minutes
to complete, unexpectedly much swifter than the Court did in May last year to
the former ruling Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party following the Sept. 19, 2006 coup
that ousted then premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
The TRT was disbanded on electoral fraud charges and
its 111 executives including founder Thaksin Shinawatra were banned from
politics for five years.
The PPP, which is seen by opponents as a
reincarnation of the TRT, did not attend Tuesday's summation session, protesting
that the judges were biased against the government.
PAD protesters, who had been rallying at the two
airports in Bangkok in a showdown to topple the government, hailed as the Court
handed down the verdict.
Since Somchai was disqualified, First Deputy Prime
Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul will become caretaker prime minister pending
a meeting of the caretaker Cabinet, former PM's Office Ministers Sukhumpong
Ngonkham said Tuesday.
Thai government supporters hold a rally
to protest against Thai Constitution Court's order to dissolve the three
ruling parties, in front of the Bangkok Intermediate Administrative Court
in Bangkok Dec. 2, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
Somchai Wongsawat (C), deputy leader of
People Power Party, smiles after being elected as Thailand's 26th Prime
Minister with 298 votes in a voting in the House of Representatives in
Bangkok, Sept. 17, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BANGKOK, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Somchai Wongsawat was elected as Thailand's 26th
Prime Minister with 298 votes in a voting in the House of Representatives
Wednesday.
61-year-old Somchai has long-time experience in judicial
field, serving as judge for more than 20 years. He was permanent secretary of
the Justice Ministry from 1999 to 2006, during the Chuan Leekpai and then the
Thaksin Shinwatra administrations, then became permanent secretary for the Labor
Ministry.
Somchai served as deputy prime minister and education
minister in the cabinet of Samak Sundaravej, after it took office in early
February and went through several reshuffles. Full story
Nurses transport an injured man to a
hospital after a grenade attack on protesters at the Government House in
Bangkok November 20, 2008. A grenade attack on protesters occupying the
Thai prime minister's office killed one person and wounded 19 on
Thursday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BANGKOK, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The early morning bomb
blast in Bangkok's Government House has killed one protester and injured 26
others from the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which
occupied the complex since mid-August. Full story
Anti-government protestors led by the
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrate near the parliament
complex in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, Nov. 24, 2008. A scheduled Monday
Parliament session was called off following thousands of anti-government
protestors led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) began the
besiege of the Parliament complex and other establishments in a showdown
effort to bring the "Thaksin-proxy" government down.(Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BANGKOK,
Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- A scheduled Monday Parliament session was called off
following thousands of anti-government protestors led by the People's Alliance
for Democracy (PAD) began the besiege of the Parliament complex and other
establishments in a showdown effort to bring the "Thaksin-proxy" government
down. Full story
Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai
Wongsawat gestures during a meeting with Peru's President Alan Garcia at
the government palace in Lima Nov. 24, 2008. Somchai insists not to
step down or dissolve the House of Representatives despite the latest
rally staged by anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)
protestors.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
BANGKOK, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai
Wongsawat insists not to step down or dissolve the House of Representatives
despite the latest rally staged by anti-government People's Alliance for
Democracy (PAD) protestors, government spokesman Nattawut Saikua said Tuesday.
Full story
