Court ruling likely today on dissolution cases
POST REPORTERS
Key coalition allies of the People Power party (PPP) agreed yesterday to continue their partnership after the Constitution Court hands down its decision on electoral fraud charges, which could lead to their dissolution.
The court will close the case today and announce when it will give its decision.
PPP registrar Samarn Lertwongrat said he disagreed with the court's rush to wrap up the trial today. This closed the doors on the defendants' opportunities to defend themselves.
Faced with the possibility the party and its executive members could be banned, the PPP has already begun looking for a replacement for Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
The PPP has set up the Puea Thai party to accommodate its MPs and other party members if it is disbanded.
Mr Samarn said if Mr Somchai is stripped of the prime ministership, the party has about 20 people it can choose from to succeed him.
Party members would have 60 days to move to the new party, Puea Thai.
Party-list MP Chaowarin Latthasaksiri said in the event the party is dissolved and Mr Somchai removed from office, MPs from the PPP would petition for an extraordinary meeting of the House of Representatives to choose a new prime minister. This was allowed by the constitution.
Chart Thai Party deputy leader Somsak Prissanananthakul said the departure of his party from the coalition government would only add to the political instability in the kingdom.
Chart Thai, which is the second largest party in the government, did not want to add to the troubles.
Puea Pandin deputy leader Mun Patanotai sent the same message. He said all coalition parties would stay together and he hoped the issue would be tabled for talks with the prime minister today.
But some members of Puea Pandin called for the end of the coalition government.
Three executives of the PPP, Chart Thai and Matchimathipataya parties were found guilty of poll fraud in the Dec 23 election, putting their parties at risk of being dissolved by the charter court. Members of their executive boards also face having their political rights revoked.
Chaturon Chaisaeng, former leader of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party, yesterday recommended that Mr Somchai step down as prime minister and form a new government before the court gives its verdict.
This would hold MPs together and help the government continue working.
Mr Chaturon said his suggestion was based on the principle of democracy and did not mean he was bowing to the demands of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
Deputy Commerce Minister Songkram Kitlertpairoj, a PPP executive member, said the party's board resolved to oppose the charter court's order that the defendants deliver their closing statements today without testimony from witnesses.
Yuenyad Jaisamut said the party's legal team and its executives will not be present for the closing statements today. The party will send only a lawyer to the court.
Air force chief ACM Itthiporn Suppawong said the best way to end the political impasse was to return power to the people through a general election. He stressed that the Constitution Court's ruling is final and must be respected.
"If nobody accepts the judiciary's authority, you cannot imagine the turmoil the country would be in," he said.
Thousands of government supporters wearing red shirts, led by the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), resumed their rally at the public ground outside City Hall yesterday.
UDD leader Jatuporn Promphan, a host of the political talk show Kwam Jing Wan Nee (Truth Today) said he consulted the PPP's legal team and it was agreed the UDD supporters would not gather outside the court today, despite earlier plans.
Metropolitan deputy police chief Suporn Phansuea said a combined force of 500 police and soldiers would be assigned to secure the court.
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