Democrat Party secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday condemned Puea Thai Party member Panlop Pinmanee as "a liar" for accusing him of hiring fake witnesses that led to the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT).

Panlop: Should go to the criminal court

Mr Suthep, who is also a deputy prime minister, said yesterday the press conference on Monday by Puea Thai members, led by Gen Panlop, demonstrated the true colour of the people in the TRT and Puea Thai, "who were consistent in creating fake evidence".

On Monday, Gen Panlop brought two former members of the disbanded Pattana Chart Thai Party to a press conference.

The two accused Mr Suthep of hiring them for 15 million baht each to tell the Constitution Court that former deputy TRT leader Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhya had bribed them to have the database of the Election Commission (EC) altered to help TRT in the April 2, 2006 election.

A change in the database enabled the small party to field candidates in the poll and help the TRT avoid a requirement that it must win at least 20% of the votes in the constituency if no other party fielded a candidate.

The Democrat Party boycotted the election.

Suthep: ‘‘Creating fake evidence’’

Mr Suthep said evidence presented in court proved that they had intentionally violated the law.

Three years later they are trying to create a new story to disprove the claim that former TRT leader Thaksin Shinawatra and his followers were good people, the Democrat said.

He accused Thaksin of trying to topple the Democrat-led government by doing whatever it took even if it was politically unethical.

Election Commissioner Praphan Naigowit said yesterday the EC could not revive the TRT case although Suksant Chaiyathep and Chavakarn Tosawat have changed their testimony.

That was because the organic law on the dissolution of political parties does not allow for the revival of such cases, he said.

However, affected parties could turn to the Criminal Court, he said.

Puea Thai MP for Nakhon Phanom Paijit Sriworakhan said his party would take legal action and call for the dissolution of the Democrat Party for creating the false witnesses.

Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan yesterday confirmed his red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship movement would stage a big rally in Bangkok on Nov 29 and he was confident the government would not survive until Dec 4.He has demanded a quick dissolution of the House.