Dec 2, 2008
Bangkok turmoil
Ruling party to regroup
Court dissolves two main parties
Thai premier banned from politics for 5 years
PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
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BANGKOK - THAILAND'S ruling party on Tuesday said members will regroup under a new name and propose a new prime minister, minutes after a court dissolved the group and barred the current premier from politics.
Thai govt faces key ruling
BANGKOK - THAILAND is bracing itself for more trouble today as its Constitutional Court begins handing down a ruling that could lead to Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government being dissolved.
Thai police yesterday asked the military to help step up security in the capital, fearing that pro-government supporters would react violently should the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) be declared illegal for electoral fraud in last year's polls.
... more
Key dates
BANGKOK - THOUSANDS of protesters have shut down Thailand's main airports in their latest push to topple an elected government they accuse of corruption and hostility to the monarchy.
Supporters of the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) launched their campaign in late May to oust the government, and have escalated their protests aimed at forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
... more
The People Power Party (PPP) had earlier set up a shell organisation in anticipation of the verdict by the country's constitutional court, PPP spokesman Kudeb Saikrajang said.
'I am sad to hear this devastating ruling which we had no chance to defend,' Mr Kudeb said. 'But our remaining 216 MPs will move to the Pheu Thai (For Thais) party and bid to open the house to elect a new prime minister.'
Earlier, Thailand's Constitutional Court has dissolved two main parties in the ruling coalition and banned the prime minister along with top party executives from politics for five years.
The ruling sinks Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government, which has faced strident protests for months seeking its ouster.
The court ruled that Somchai's People's Power Party and the Machima Thipatai party were guilty of electoral fraud. Somchai and dozens of party executive members also were found guilty and banned from politics for five years.
Tuesday's ruling raises hopes that thousands of anti-government protesters will end their siege of the country's two main airports.
Court President Chat Chalavorn says the ruling will 'set a political standard'.
The yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators at the airports have been seeking to topple Somchai, whom they accuse of being a pawn for his brother-in-law, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and is now in exile.
A grenade was fired from a flyover near the domestic airport hours before the court hearing, killing one anti-government protester and wounding 22 people.
The electoral fraud case was scheduled to be heard at the Constitutional Courthouse in Bangkok on Tuesday, but authorities moved it after hundreds of red-shirted government supporters surrounded the building.
The ruling on allegations of vote fraud in the December 2007 election will not necessarily mean a snap election as many PPP MPs will simply switch to a new 'shell' party already set up.
Fears of violent clashes, or worse, are growing.
'It now seems that violence cannot be avoided. Some even predict what has been unthinkable for 700 years: a civil war,' the Bangkok Post said in an editorial.
It also asked: 'Does Thailand have a functioning government?' That question could be even more pertinent after the court ruling forcing the PPP to disband.
Several thousand PAD supporters have occupied the prime minister's offices since August but the PAD has said it would hand the compound back to the authorities on Tuesday.
A Reuters reporter said only a handful of PAD activists remained at Government House early on Tuesday. There were no police present, but cranes had arrived to remove the shells of six buses used to barricade surrounding roads.
The PAD leadership apparently intends to move more supporters to the international airport, which has been blockaded for a week, adding to the pain of a tourist- and export-dependent economy already suffering from the global financial crisis.
Thousands of foreign tourists have been stranded and the air cargo industry has ground to a halt.
Finance Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech said on Monday the economy might be flat next year, or grow by just 1-2 per cent, after earlier growth forecasts of between 4-5 per cent.
The chaos has worried Thailand's neighbours, due to meet in the country in two weeks for a regional summit. The Thai cabinet is expected to approve a delay to March when it meets in Chiang Mai on Tuesday. -- REUTERS, AP
Bangkok turmoil
Ruling party to regroup
Court dissolves two main parties
Thai premier banned from politics for 5 years
PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
View more photos
BANGKOK - THAILAND'S ruling party on Tuesday said members will regroup under a new name and propose a new prime minister, minutes after a court dissolved the group and barred the current premier from politics.
Thai govt faces key ruling
BANGKOK - THAILAND is bracing itself for more trouble today as its Constitutional Court begins handing down a ruling that could lead to Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government being dissolved.
Thai police yesterday asked the military to help step up security in the capital, fearing that pro-government supporters would react violently should the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) be declared illegal for electoral fraud in last year's polls.
... more
Key dates
BANGKOK - THOUSANDS of protesters have shut down Thailand's main airports in their latest push to topple an elected government they accuse of corruption and hostility to the monarchy.
Supporters of the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) launched their campaign in late May to oust the government, and have escalated their protests aimed at forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
... more
The People Power Party (PPP) had earlier set up a shell organisation in anticipation of the verdict by the country's constitutional court, PPP spokesman Kudeb Saikrajang said.
'I am sad to hear this devastating ruling which we had no chance to defend,' Mr Kudeb said. 'But our remaining 216 MPs will move to the Pheu Thai (For Thais) party and bid to open the house to elect a new prime minister.'
Earlier, Thailand's Constitutional Court has dissolved two main parties in the ruling coalition and banned the prime minister along with top party executives from politics for five years.
The ruling sinks Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government, which has faced strident protests for months seeking its ouster.
The court ruled that Somchai's People's Power Party and the Machima Thipatai party were guilty of electoral fraud. Somchai and dozens of party executive members also were found guilty and banned from politics for five years.
Tuesday's ruling raises hopes that thousands of anti-government protesters will end their siege of the country's two main airports.
Court President Chat Chalavorn says the ruling will 'set a political standard'.
The yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators at the airports have been seeking to topple Somchai, whom they accuse of being a pawn for his brother-in-law, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and is now in exile.
A grenade was fired from a flyover near the domestic airport hours before the court hearing, killing one anti-government protester and wounding 22 people.
The electoral fraud case was scheduled to be heard at the Constitutional Courthouse in Bangkok on Tuesday, but authorities moved it after hundreds of red-shirted government supporters surrounded the building.
The ruling on allegations of vote fraud in the December 2007 election will not necessarily mean a snap election as many PPP MPs will simply switch to a new 'shell' party already set up.
Fears of violent clashes, or worse, are growing.
'It now seems that violence cannot be avoided. Some even predict what has been unthinkable for 700 years: a civil war,' the Bangkok Post said in an editorial.
It also asked: 'Does Thailand have a functioning government?' That question could be even more pertinent after the court ruling forcing the PPP to disband.
Several thousand PAD supporters have occupied the prime minister's offices since August but the PAD has said it would hand the compound back to the authorities on Tuesday.
A Reuters reporter said only a handful of PAD activists remained at Government House early on Tuesday. There were no police present, but cranes had arrived to remove the shells of six buses used to barricade surrounding roads.
The PAD leadership apparently intends to move more supporters to the international airport, which has been blockaded for a week, adding to the pain of a tourist- and export-dependent economy already suffering from the global financial crisis.
Thousands of foreign tourists have been stranded and the air cargo industry has ground to a halt.
Finance Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech said on Monday the economy might be flat next year, or grow by just 1-2 per cent, after earlier growth forecasts of between 4-5 per cent.
The chaos has worried Thailand's neighbours, due to meet in the country in two weeks for a regional summit. The Thai cabinet is expected to approve a delay to March when it meets in Chiang Mai on Tuesday. -- REUTERS, AP
