Bhichit barred from party post for 5 years

Poll agency dissolves Thin Thai, 15 others

Mongkol Bangprapa

Former Bangkok governor Bhichit Rattakul has been banned from holding an executive position in a political party for five years, after his fledgling Thin Thai party fell foul of the election law.

Thin Thai and 15 other small parties will become history with the Election Commission seeking a court order to have them dissolved for constitutional violations.

Jira Boonpotjanasunhtorn, a commissioner, said the parties including Thin Thai led by Mr Bhichit, failed to submit an annual work report within the deadline.

Mr Bhichit would be banned from founding parties or holding executive posts in other parties for five years. However, he can still run for parliament and hold cabinet posts.

Under the constitution, parties have to hand in annual reports by the end of March.

Every party had been warned in advance, Mr Jira said. Thin Thai party was one month late and the poll agency had no choice but to proceed as required by law.

The Election Commission had no authority to extend the deadline and a petition asking for the party to be disbanded had been lodged with the Constitutional Court, he said.

Thin Thai's sole MP, Boonterm Chantarawong, had 60 days after the court's ruling to find a new party or lose his parliamentary status.

The other 15 political parties facing dissolution do not have seats in parliament. Mr Boonterm was taken aback to learn his party was going to be dissolved.

He declined to say whether he would defect to Thai Rak Thai under Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, but admitted that a government party was "more interesting" than an opposition one.

"Any party to which I defect must do good for the people in my constituency, and it does not matter if I myself find it interesting or not," Mr Boonterm said.

He is thought likely to join Thai Rak Thai, with the help of Vichet Kasemthongsri, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister.

Mr Boonterm said his move would be "unconditional", however.

The MP, who became indebted making his parliamentary debut, said it was unfair his party could make such a "trivial error" and see itself terminated.