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: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Thailand court disbands ruling party, bans PM

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

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[JURIST] The Constitutional Court of Thailand on Tuesday ordered the dissolution of the ruling People's Power Party (PPP), and banned prime minister Somchai Wongsawat from politics for five years as the result of an election fraud investigation. Former PPP deputy leader Yongyuth Tiyapairat was convicted of organizing a vote-buying scheme by the court in July, and Thai law allows the court to disband all political parties and bar party officials associated with such fraud, even those not directly involved. The court also disbanded PPP coalition partners Chart Thai and Matchimathipataya and banned more than 100 other officials from participating in politics for five years. Following the ruling, Somchai said that he and the coalition parties would obey the court's order. Thai deputy prime minister Chavarat Charnveerakul has been appointed as interim prime minister until the country's parliament can appoint Somchai's sucessor. Also Tuesday, leaders of opposition People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) said it would end protests that had taken over Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports in light of the ruling. The case against the PPP and Somchai was brought before the court by the country's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in October following a September recommendation by the country's Election Commission to break up the party because of the alleged fraud. Thailand's Election Commission had already said it would begin an investigation into allegations that Somchai illegally holds stocks in companies which operate under government contracts. In September, then-prime minister and PPP founder Samak Sundaravej instituted a controversial state of emergency to quell demonstrations, but was later removed from office after receiving illegal compensation for an appearance on a television cooking show. The PPP has also been closely associated with ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has faced numerous charges of corruption.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on December 02, 2008 (boomark / email).