Democrats seek Pheu Thai's dissolution | Bangkok Post: news

The Democrat Party of Friday initiated legal action seeking the dissolution of the Pheu Thai Party, filing a complaint with the Election Commission about the involvement of banned politicians.

Democrat Party's legal team member Wirat Kallayasiri (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

The outgoing ruling party asked the Election Commission to recommend that the rival Puea Thai Party, which won the July 3 general election, be disbanded on the grounds that banned politicians were involved in its election campaign.

Democrat legal team member Wirat Kallayasiri said some  of the 111 executive members of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party who were banned from politics for five years in 2008 - including ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Thai Rak Thai deputy leader Chaturon Chaisang - have been more involved in Pheu Thai's activities than the actual Pheu Thai executive members.

"Some members of 'House No.111' were involved in choosing party list and constituency candidates, and they also determine the policies of Pheu Thai, such as 'Thaksin Thinks, Pheu Thai acts'," Mr Wirat said.

Article 97 of the constitution clearly states that executives from any disbanded party are prohibited from being  involved with any other party during the suspension period, he said.

The Democrats would like the EC to take action because if Thaksin and Chaturon were found guilty of breaching the charter, Thaksin and Chaturon should be banned from politics for five more years, he added.

Prime minister-apparent Yingluck Shinawatra today rejected as baseless reports that she planned to go to Hong Kong to meet  elder brother Thaksin on Sunday to discuss the cabinet lineup.

Ms Yingluck said she was too busy working on drafting the policies of the incoming government to be delivered  to parliament.

"I have no plan to go to Hong Kong and will remain in Bangkok," she said.

She also had no knowledge about reports that members of the Matchima faction would defect from the Bhumjaithai Party to join Pheu Thai in forming the government. Whether they would even be accepted would rest with the party executive, she said.