Election Commission Rules That Chart Thai & Matchima Thipataya Parties Be Dissolved

[sriracha john]

Dissolution cases nearly wrapped up

The Constitution Court is expected to be given the dissolution cases involving the Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties next Friday. Kemchai Chutiwong, Deputy Spokesman for the Attorney-General's Office, said the prosecution panel working on the case, headed by Deputy Attorney-General Julasingh Wasantsingh, is close to finishing the summary which will be presented to the Constitution Court on Sept 26. The panel, Mr Kemchai said, has worked thoroughly in preparing the indictment. The Election Commission (EC) has recommended that the two coalition parties should be disbanded for electoral fraud and the next step is for the prosecution to put the case to the Constitution Court. The EC has ruled that Chart Thai Party Deputy Secretary-General Monthien Songpracha and Matchima Thipataya Party Deputy Leader Sunthorn Wilawan bought votes in the Dec 23 elections.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/200908_News/20Sep2008_news09.php

[h90]

Dissolution cases nearly wrapped up

The Constitution Court is expected to be given the dissolution cases involving the Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties next Friday. Kemchai Chutiwong, Deputy Spokesman for the Attorney-General's Office, said the prosecution panel working on the case, headed by Deputy Attorney-General Julasingh Wasantsingh, is close to finishing the summary which will be presented to the Constitution Court on Sept 26. The panel, Mr Kemchai said, has worked thoroughly in preparing the indictment. The Election Commission (EC) has recommended that the two coalition parties should be disbanded for electoral fraud and the next step is for the prosecution to put the case to the Constitution Court. The EC has ruled that Chart Thai Party Deputy Secretary-General Monthien Songpracha and Matchima Thipataya Party Deputy Leader Sunthorn Wilawan bought votes in the Dec 23 elections.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/200908_News/20Sep2008_news09.php

What a speed....how many months after the election?

[Artisi]

Dissolution cases nearly wrapped up

The Constitution Court is expected to be given the dissolution cases involving the Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties next Friday. Kemchai Chutiwong, Deputy Spokesman for the Attorney-General's Office, said the prosecution panel working on the case, headed by Deputy Attorney-General Julasingh Wasantsingh, is close to finishing the summary which will be presented to the Constitution Court on Sept 26. The panel, Mr Kemchai said, has worked thoroughly in preparing the indictment. The Election Commission (EC) has recommended that the two coalition parties should be disbanded for electoral fraud and the next step is for the prosecution to put the case to the Constitution Court. The EC has ruled that Chart Thai Party Deputy Secretary-General Monthien Songpracha and Matchima Thipataya Party Deputy Leader Sunthorn Wilawan bought votes in the Dec 23 elections.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/200908_News/20Sep2008_news09.php

What a speed....how many months after the election?

Well at least it's being heard - previously it wouldn't have ever seen the light of day.

[sriracha john]

Shinawatra Thai Silk building

-------------------

Puea Thai Party in talks on new home

The Shinawatra Thai Silk building has started clearance sales to make way for the Puea Thai Party, a new political party registered by a group of PPP MPs, who want to move in. The ground floor of the building on Rama IV road, where silk products are sold, will be used as the headquarters of the Puea Thai Party, a back-up for the ruling PPP, said a source. Clearance sales have been started to sell off stock, by September this year. Songkhram Kitlertpairoj, a PPP MP for Samut Prakan and one of the people who registered the party, said negotiations were being held with the building owner over rental fees. Puea Thai Party would not occupy the whole building, he said. The party would rent some parts of the building for its headquarters. The party was set up as PPP members prepare for the expected dissolution of their party. Songkhram refused to confirm that former Permanent Secretary of the Interior Sudjarit Patchimnand would be chosen to lead the party, saying Sudjarit was one of several choices. The new party would hold its general assembly within 1-2 months to elect its executives. Former PPP candidates and former party MPs have applied for party membership. Surawit Khonsomboon, a PPP MP for Chaiyaphum, said several party MPs had visited their constituencies and told local residents that the PPP, if dissolved, already had a new home in the Puea Thai Party. Sakda Khongphet, a PPP MP for Roi Et, said Puea Thai was ready to enter the political race as the Election Commission had already endorsed the party. He said all factions of the PPP, including veteran politician Newin Chidchob's faction, would move to Puea Thai if the PPP was dissolved. ''Thaksin earlier told me the PPP would not survive. However, we are not worried as some phuyai [senior figures] in our party have already prepared the Puea Thai as a new home. Those who see the abbreviations or the logo of the new party will understand that it is Thaksin's party. Thor means Thaksin and Phor means Potjaman [Thaksin's wife],'' said Sakda.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.net/230808_News/23Aug2008_news003.php

Puea Thai Party emerges

The Puea Thai Party was unveiled for the first time on Sunday morning. The new political party held a meeting to appoint its executives and revise its policy and regulations prior to the impending general election. The meeting took place at the Shinawatra Thai Silk building on Bangkok’s Rama IV road. The building is owned by ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s younger sister Yaowarat Shinawatra. At the meeting, the Party formed committees responsible for selecting MPs, revising its policy, and promoting democracy within the party. The Puea Thai Party was registered by Yaowapha Wongsawat, the former executive of court-dissolved TRT Party and another sister of Thaksin. Yaowapha is the wife of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat. The Party was formed for the People Power Party MPs to join, if the PPP is dissolved because one of its executives and former House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat was implicated in election fraud during last year’s general election. Many MPs and former MPs from the PPP and TRT have already signed up for the Puea Thai Party.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=130822

================================================================================

Yaowarat Shinawatra (center) behind the shoulder of an unknown Swede.

Yaowapha Wongsawat nee Shinawatra (left) behind the shoulder of an unknown Thai.

Edited September 21, 2008 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

Suchart Thadathamrongvej, caretaker Deputy Finance Minister

Plodprasop Suraswadi, former Thaksin aide who appointed him Director of Chiang Mai Night Safari

Sunee Luangwichit, People Power Party MP for Phichit

Suchart elected Leader of Puea Thai Party

Caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Suchart Thadathamrongvej was unanimously elected Leader of the Puea Thai Party, which was unveiled for the first time this morning (September 21).

The Puea Thai Party this morning elected Suchart Thadathamrongvej as its Party Leader. The party convened an assembly and elected an executive board.

Plodprasop Suraswadi and Yongyuth Wichaidit were elected Deputy Leaders.

Sunee Luangwichit was elected as Party Secretary-General. Sakda Noppasit was elected as Party Spokesman.

- ThaiNews / 2008-09-21

[sriracha john]

There seems to be some inconsistencies as to specifically which one of Thaksin's sisters owns the building...

Caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Suchart elected Leader of Puea Thai Part

BANGKOK, Sept 21 (TNA) - Thailand's caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Suchart Thadadamrongwej was elected Sunday as Leader of the new Puea Thai political party, formed for members of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to join later in case it is ordered dissolved by the courts following a senior PPP executive being ruled guilty of fraud in last December's general election.

Suchart was elected Leader of the Puea Thai Party during an extraordinary meeting held at party headquarters in a building owned by Yaowapha Wongsawat, the wife of newly-appointed Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Mrs. Yaowapha is a younger sister of ousted, fugitive prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Several senior members of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, led by Thaksin, and elected members of the PPP also attended Sunday's meeting.

Two men -- Yongyuth Vichaidit and Plodprasop Surasawadee – were elected Deputy Leaders of Puea Thai Party at the meeting. The party also elected five executive members.

Suchart said after being appointed Leader of the Party that he was ready to "serve the people and solve the problem of poverty" in the country.

[sriracha john]

Suchart takes Puea Thai Party Reins

The Puea Thai Party yesterday decided to appoint Suchart Tadatamrongvej as its new Party Leader.

At a meeting at Shinawatra Building on Rama 4 Road, the Party also endorsed the appointment of 63 Party Executive Board members, including Yongyuth Wichaidit, Plodprasop Suraswadi as Deputy Party Leader, Sunee Luangwichit as Secretary-General, Thanawat Wasinsangworn as Deputy Secretary-General, Sakda Nopasit as Spokesman and Kamol Bandaipet as Party Political Registrar.

People Power Party MPs who came to observe the Puea Thai Party meeting were PPP Khon Kaen MP Prachak Kaewkla, Party list MP Buasorn Prachamon, and former Thai Rak Thai Party MP Adisorn Piangket (TRT Banned #55).

Suchart vowed to use the knowledge derived from his experience as adviser to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra *the Leader was an adviser to Thaksin and the Deputy Leader was an aide to Thaksin* on the SML (Small, Medium, Large) and OTOP (One Tambon, One Product) projects *quite dubious achievements* in drafting the new Party's policies.

He said he was not attached to the post and was ready to step down if the Party found a more competent and suitable Party Leader.

However, he said he was confident of becoming the country's leader.

He said some senior Party figures persuaded him to take up the Party leadership, which he did because the Party had policies that were in line with his vision.

He denied the party was established to declare war on poverty. :D

He also denied that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat had asked him to accept the post.

- The Nation / 2008-09-22

Edited September 21, 2008 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

Suchart to lead Puea Thai Party

Deputy Finance Minister Suchart Thadathamrongvej was elected Leader of the Puea Thai party yesterday, amid signs a major faction in the ruling PPP is being isolated. Puea Thai Party is viewed as the fall-back Party if the PPP is dissolved by the Constitution Court. Suchart's nomination for the leadership was unchallenged. The meeting, held at the Party's headquarters in the Shinawatra building on Rama IV road, also elected former Interior Permanent Secretary Yongyuth Vichaidit and former Forestry Department Chief Plodprasop Suraswadi as Deputy Leaders. The Party was co-founded by politicians with close ties to some of the 111 former executives of the disbanded TRT Party, who were banned from politics for five years. A source said they include Pongsak Raktapongpaisal (TRT Banned #27), Yongyuth Tiyapairat (Individually Banned), and Sudarat Keyuraphan (TRT Banned #3). These former TRT executives are believed to have a strong influence in the PPP, but are reportedly up against another faction controlled by Newin Chidchob (TRT Banned #6), also one of the 111 TRT executives. A source said Puea Thai is a consolidation of MPs with clear links to the TRT, and it may be drawing a line to keep the Friends of Newin faction out. Suchart said his Party was prepared to run candidates in the next general election and he was ready to be prime minister if the party nominates him. Wattana Sengpairoh, a failed PPP MP election candidate, said if the PPP is dissolved because of the vote-buying by Yongyuth in the December general election, Suchart was well suited to succeed PM Somchai Wongsawat. Puea Thai Party member Surachai Baojanya said the Party would be popular with voters as they know it is a rebrand of the "old party," a reference to the TRT. A source in the PPP said some members of the Newin faction were expected to set up their own party, called Suwannaphum, and that the Newin faction is

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/220908_News/22Sep2008_news04.php

[AlKing]

This is not even the begining of the end. It is just the end of the begining.

[h90]

This is not even the begining of the end. It is just the end of the begining.

Like movies:

Rambo

Rambo 2

Rambo 3

Rambo 4

TRT

TRT 2

TRT 3

At TRT 5 all the banned members are in again while all the acting people now are banned.

[AlKing]

This is not even the begining of the end. It is just the end of the begining.

Like movies:

Rambo

Rambo 2

Rambo 3

Rambo 4

TRT

TRT 2

TRT 3

At TRT 5 all the banned members are in again while all the acting people now are banned.

There is a Thai movie: Ban Pee Pob บ้านผีปอบ . I believe it has 13 series. Surly even police acadamy cannot beat that, not to mention TRT.

[sriracha john]

Going back to the Thai Rak Thai dissolution case... yet another Thaksin Pastry Gate-like bribing...

Police officer faces prosecution over bribing TRT judges

Public prosecutors yesterday decided to file an indictment against a former police officer for offering kickbacks to two of nine tribunal judges in a bid to stop the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai Party.

Criminal Litigation Department's Director-General Kaiyasit Pitsawongprakarn said, after examining the case for two months, prosecutors had decided to take legal proceedings against Police Colonel Chanchai Netiratkan, former Superintendent of the Pho Kaew police station in Nakhon Pathom's Sam Phran district.

He was charged with attempting to bribe judges in the Thai Rak Thai case.

Another alleged lobbyist in the same case, a high-ranking official in the Justice Ministry, was cleared following a disciplinary inquiry ordered by then Supreme Court President Panya Thanomrod.

Kaiyasit said prosecutors had earlier instructed police to further probe the case and that they were nearly done with it. Prosecutors will soon be filing for an indictment.

Chanchai graduated from Thammasat University's Faculty of Law in the same year as Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat. He was arrested after Weera Somkwamkid, Secretary-General of the People's Network against Corruption, filed a police complaint against him in August last year.

Shortly after the tribunal court handed down its ruling on May 31 last year, then Justice Ministry Permanent Secretary Charan Phakdithanakul claimed that two of nine tribunal judges had been offered kickbacks to fix the verdict and not dissolve Thai Rak Thai.

Charan had presented documents, purported to be evidence of the alleged bribery attempt, to the Supreme Court. He claimed he had a letter signed by people who had offered the bribes.

- The Nation / 2008-09-23

Edited September 22, 2008 by sriracha john

[Jai Dee]

Chart Thai and NDP may be dissolved

Deputy Attorney General Mr. Chulasingh Vasantasingh (นายจุลสิงห์ วสันตสิงห์), also acted as a leader of the Attorney General Committees, reveals that the Attorney General Mr. Chaikasem Nitisiri (นายชัยเกษม นิติสิริ) has ordered to dissolve both Chart Thai party and Neutral Democratic party (มัชฌิมาธิปไตย).

The order is derived from the committees’ filing of accusation and case summary. Mr. Chulasingh adds that tomorrow the committees will file complaint to the Constitutional Court for further consideration.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vaiyavut Lortragool (นายวัยวุฒิ หล่อตระกูล), also Deputy Attorney General as the Attorney General committee member, states that this lawsuit summary has been divided into two cases due to dissimilar nature of charges.

He also adds that it is not yet affirmative on which party’s lawsuit will be filed to the Constitutional Court first.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 23 September 2008

[h90]

This is not even the begining of the end. It is just the end of the begining.

Like movies:

Rambo

Rambo 2

Rambo 3

Rambo 4

TRT

TRT 2

TRT 3

At TRT 5 all the banned members are in again while all the acting people now are banned.

There is a Thai movie: Ban Pee Pob บ้านผีปอบ . I believe it has 13 series. Surly even police acadamy cannot beat that, not to mention TRT.

Yes Police Academy would be simillar.....

[sriracha john]

Chart Thai and NDP may be dissolved

Deputy Attorney General Mr. Chulasingh Vasantasingh (นายจุลสิงห์ วสันตสิงห์), also acted as a leader of the Attorney General Committees, reveals that the Attorney General Mr. Chaikasem Nitisiri (นายชัยเกษม นิติสิริ) has ordered to dissolve both Chart Thai party and Neutral Democratic party (มัชฌิมาธิปไตย).

The order is derived from the committees’ filing of accusation and case summary. Mr. Chulasingh adds that tomorrow the committees will file complaint to the Constitutional Court for further consideration.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vaiyavut Lortragool (นายวัยวุฒิ หล่อตระกูล), also Deputy Attorney General as the Attorney General committee member, states that this lawsuit summary has been divided into two cases due to dissimilar nature of charges.

He also adds that it is not yet affirmative on which party’s lawsuit will be filed to the Constitutional Court first.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 23 September 2008

If People Power Party has Peua Thai Party ready to go for them after dissolution, what party does Banharn have after dissolution of Chart Thai Party?

[sriracha john]

Matchima Thipataya Party Leader and Natural Resources and Environment Minister and wife of TRT Banned #18 Somsak, Anongwan Thepsuthin, may soon get to join her husband on the Banned from Politics list.

Congratulations to a wonderful husband and wife duo....

Indeed, Anongwan, Thumbs Up! on a terrific job. Not many couples can claim to have both of its partners BANNED.

The Industry Ministry portfolio is expected to go to Anongwan Thepsuthin, Leader of the Matchima Thipataya Party (and wife of TRT Banned #18 Somsak). She is now caretaker Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

and best of luck to you in your continued success in your new position within Somchai's Cabinet... that is, until the banishment is completed... or the Cabinet collapses (whichever occurs first)...

Public prosecutors file dissolution suit against Matchima

Public prosecutors Tuesday told the Constitution Court to consider dissolve the Matchima Tipataya Party after its executive was found by the Election Commission of having bought votes.

- The Nation / 2008-09-23

Edited September 23, 2008 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

and now the Eel is facing a non-slippery situation... same as Thaksin did.

Chart Thai Party Leader Banharn (left)

FLASH UPDATE: Attorney-General Office Submits Dissolution Cases to Constitution Court

The Attorney General Office has forwarded party dissolution cases against Chart Thai and Machima Thipataya to the Constitution Court for its deliberation.

Both party executives have been convicted of election fraud. According to the 2007 charter, the Party must be held responsible and could face dissolution.

- TOC / 2008-09-23

[sriracha john]

Public prosecutors ask Constitution Court to dissolve Matchima

Public prosecutors yesterday filed a suit with the Constitution Court to dissolve the Matchima Tipataya Party after the Election Commission found its executive committed electoral offence for having bought votes.

Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri yesterday said he had already endorsed the decision to file the dissolution of Matchima Thipataya Party case with the Constitution Court.

Special Litigation Department Deputy Director-General Surasak Trirattrakul said he filed the dissolution of Matchima Thipataya Party case with the Constitution Court.

He said public prosecutors were still checking the Chart Thai Party dissolution case to ensure it was complete and no had no holes. Once it was ready, they would seek approval from the Attorney-General for indictment next week.

Deputy Attorney-General Chulasing Wasantsing said public prosecutors would meet on Thursday to work on the People Power Party dissolution case.

The Election Commission had sought the Attorney-General decision to recommend it to the Constitution Court to dissolve the PPP after Supreme Court's Electoral Fraud Division disqualified former PPP Deputy Leader Yongyuth Tiyapairat for having bought votes.

If the Constitution Court dissolves any political party, the Party Leader and the Party executive board of the disbanded party would be banned from political activities for five years.

- The Nation / 2008-09-23

[Jai Dee]

Office of the Attorney General to forward Chart Thai and Matchima Thipathai dissolution cases to Constitution Tribunal

Attorney General Chaikasem Nitisiri this morning has signed a case file on the dissolution of the Chart Thai and Matchima Thipathai parties. The Office of the Attorney General today completed its draft of the case and later today will forward the matter to the Constitution Tribunal for further consideration.

Deputy Attorney General Waiyawuth Lohtrakul (วัยวุฒิ หล่อตระกูล) acting as part of the cases committee revealed that the dissolution file has been split into two parts as each party is facing seperate faults. The working committee may submit any file to the Constitution Tribunal first today.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 24 September 2008

[sriracha john]

now that Chat Thai and Matchima Thipataya cases have been filed... next up in the batting order is..

Office of Attorney General calls first hearing of PPP dissolution case

Deputy Attorney-General Julasingha Wasansingha, acting as head of the working committee for the People Power Party dissolution case, has called the committee to its first meeting since the red card issuance to former House Speaker Yongyuth Thiyaphairat on charges of electoral fraud.

The Office of the Attorney-General only yesterday forwarded the dissolution case of the Matchima Thipathaya and Chart Thai Parties to the Constitution Court. The cases were submitted to the office by the Election Commission.

Mr. Julasingha stated that his committee will give the same amount of attention to the PPP dissolution as it did to its predecessors before forwarding the case to the Constitution Court.

- ThaiNews / 2008-09-25

[sriracha john]

Chart Thai Party dissolution case goes to court tomorrow

Public prosecutors will file a suit with the Constitution Court on Wednesday, recommending that the Chart Thai Party be dissolved after the Election Commission resolved its executive was guilty of vote-buying.

Special Litigation Department Deputy Director-General Surasak Trirattrakul said on Tuesday Deputy Attorney-General Chulasing Wasantasing who chaired the prosecutor panel working on the case is making the final check on the case to ensure it has no holes before filing the suit with the court on Wednesday morning.

The public prosecutors last week had sought the court ruling to dissolve the Matchima Thipataya Party on the grounds that its executive had bought votes.

- The Nation / 2008-09-30

[Plus]

Anti-PAD people often say that finally the system is working, wheels of justice keep rolling and there's no need for PAD "revolution", the fact is that the country has gone through three governments, two prime ministers and was on a brink of house dissolution a couple of times, all before elections results have been finally settled, and god knows what else is in store for us before the verdicts.

That's a perfect case to argue that the system is absolutely ineffective.

Justice system is designed to deal with occasional deviants from the law, it gets quickly overwhelmed if all the main players do not show even the intention to comply with rules and regulations. Too many offences result in "denial of service", justice process takes 100% of CPU resources and the computer stops responding, we only get a screen refresh every couple of months.

[sriracha john]

Public prosecutors asks Constitution Court to dissolve Chart Thai Party

Public prosecutors Wednesday lodged a petition with the Constitution Court to seek a judicial review in the party dissolution case against the Chart Thai Party.

Seksan Bangsomboon, director of the Special Litigation Department, lodged the petition at 10:30 am.

- The Nation / 2008-10-01

[sriracha john]

Constitution Court officials carry boxes of documents of public prosecutors' request to dissolve Chart Thai Party. The prosecutors asked the Court to dissolve the party on charge of electoral fraud committed by a Party's Executive Board member.

The Nation

===============================================================

Chart Thai Party dissolution case reaches court

Staff from the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) brought boxes containing evidence on electoral fraud case against Chart Thai Party to the Constitution Court on Wednesday morning. The move came after the Election Commission (EC) has recommended that the coalition party be disbanded for electoral fraud. The EC has ruled that Chart Thai Party Deputy Secretary-General Monthien Songpracha bought votes in the Dec 23 elections. On the progress of the dissolution case against the ruling People Power party (PPP), Deputy Chief of the Special Litigation Office Surasak Trirattrakul said the OAG committee is working on the case. He added that the OAG will conclude on October 2 whether it needs

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=131029

[sriracha john]

Public prosecutors asks Constitution Court to dissolve Chart Thai Party

and now it's People Power Party's turn....

Office of the Attorney-General submits PPP dissolution case to Constitution Court

Director-General of the Special Litigation Department Seksan Bangsomboon revealed that the dissolution case of the People Power Party (PPP) will be submitted to the Constitution Court today.

Mr. Seksan stated that the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has reviewed the case forwarded to it from the Election Commission (EC). The EC had previously investigated the case.

The Director-General revealed that a general consensus amongst the prosecutors is that the PPP should be disbanded. Nonetheless, the matter will be have to be considered by the Constitution Court.

- ThaiNews / 2008-10-10

[sriracha john]

Today's the day we will find out if we can officially change the thread title to:

Election Commission Rules That People Power, Chart Thai & Matchima Thipataya Parties Be Dissolved

as those cases will have all then been moved along in the process from the EC to the Constitution Court...

bump...

with the further step taken since to:

Attorney-General Files Dissolution Cases for People Power, Chart Thai & Matchima Thipataya Parties

[Sunderland]

Shinawatra Thai Silk building

-------------------

Puea Thai Party in talks on new home

The Shinawatra Thai Silk building has started clearance sales to make way for the Puea Thai Party, a new political party registered by a group of PPP MPs, who want to move in. The ground floor of the building on Rama IV road, where silk products are sold, will be used as the headquarters of the Puea Thai Party, a back-up for the ruling PPP, said a source. Clearance sales have been started to sell off stock, by September this year. Songkhram Kitlertpairoj, a PPP MP for Samut Prakan and one of the people who registered the party, said negotiations were being held with the building owner over rental fees. Puea Thai Party would not occupy the whole building, he said. The party would rent some parts of the building for its headquarters. The party was set up as PPP members prepare for the expected dissolution of their party. Songkhram refused to confirm that former Permanent Secretary of the Interior Sudjarit Patchimnand would be chosen to lead the party, saying Sudjarit was one of several choices. The new party would hold its general assembly within 1-2 months to elect its executives. Former PPP candidates and former party MPs have applied for party membership. Surawit Khonsomboon, a PPP MP for Chaiyaphum, said several party MPs had visited their constituencies and told local residents that the PPP, if dissolved, already had a new home in the Puea Thai Party. Sakda Khongphet, a PPP MP for Roi Et, said Puea Thai was ready to enter the political race as the Election Commission had already endorsed the party. He said all factions of the PPP, including veteran politician Newin Chidchob's faction, would move to Puea Thai if the PPP was dissolved. ''Thaksin earlier told me the PPP would not survive. However, we are not worried as some phuyai [senior figures] in our party have already prepared the Puea Thai as a new home. Those who see the abbreviations or the logo of the new party will understand that it is Thaksin's party. Thor means Thaksin and Phor means Potjaman [Thaksin's wife],'' said Sakda.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.net/230808_News/23Aug2008_news003.php

Puea Thai Party emerges

The Puea Thai Party was unveiled for the first time on Sunday morning. The new political party held a meeting to appoint its executives and revise its policy and regulations prior to the impending general election. The meeting took place at the Shinawatra Thai Silk building on Bangkok’s Rama IV road. The building is owned by ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s younger sister Yaowarat Shinawatra. At the meeting, the Party formed committees responsible for selecting MPs, revising its policy, and promoting democracy within the party. The Puea Thai Party was registered by Yaowapha Wongsawat, the former executive of court-dissolved TRT Party and another sister of Thaksin. Yaowapha is the wife of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat. The Party was formed for the People Power Party MPs to join, if the PPP is dissolved because one of its executives and former House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat was implicated in election fraud during last year’s general election. Many MPs and former MPs from the PPP and TRT have already signed up for the Puea Thai Party.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=130822

================================================================================

Yaowarat Shinawatra (center) behind the shoulder of an unknown Swede.

Yaowapha Wongsawat nee Shinawatra (left) behind the shoulder of an unknown Thai.

Unknown???

[TAWP]

He wrote it in jest.

Of course everyone knows both th Swede and the Thai in the above pictures...

[sriracha john]

Dissolution case of Thailand's ruling party reaches Constitutional Court

BANGKOK, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Office of the Attorney General on Friday petitioned the Constitution Court to dissolve the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on electoral fraud charges.

A spokesman of the Office said the Constitution Court will consider and rule on the petition. If the party is found guilty, all of its 37 party leaders and its executive committee will be banned from engaging in political activities for five years.

Currently, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is acting PPP Leader after his predecessor Samak Sundaravej resigned from the party leadership post on Sept. 30.

On July 8, the Supreme Court ruled that former House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat, former Deputy PPP Leader, was found guilty of buying votes during last Dec. 23 general election, which saw PPP win most votes, and banned him from engaging in politics for five years.

Under Thailand's Election Law, if any executive member of a political party committed electoral fraud, the party could be dissolved.

If the PPP is dissolved, all current PPP MPs and Cabinet ministers will lose their posts. But non-executive party members could apply to join a new party to run for the next election.

The case will be a duplicate of what had happened to former ruling party Thai Rak Thai (TRT), founded by ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the Sept. 19, 2006 coup and now seeking asylum in Britain. The TRT was dissolved in May 2007 on electoral fraud charges and all its 111 executives, including Thaksin, were banned from politics for five years from then on.

PPP was alleged as the reincarnation of TRT. It has sought amending the related articles in the 2007 Constitution but the efforts had been loudly boycotted by anti-Thaksin camps.

It is not necessary to set up a working team to coordinate with the EC in the case of PPP, unlike pending dissolution cases against two other smaller parties Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya, both in the present coalition government led by PPP, the spokesman said, because the evidence against the PPP is "very clear."

[sriracha john]

Prosecutors take action against PPP

The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) yesterday lodged a petition with the Constitution Court seeking the dissolution of the People Power Party (PPP) for electoral fraud. OAG spokesman Thanapich Mulapruek said the petition against the core coalition party is based on a ruling of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office against former PPP Deputy Leader Yongyuth Tiyapairat. In July, Yongyuth was disqualified as an MP by the Supreme Court, which found him guilty of vote-buying in the Dec 23 polls and barred him from politics for five years. According to Mr Thanapich, the PPP has been indicted of violating Article 237 of the constitution, articles 94 and 95 of the political party law, and Article 11 of the election law. *a trifecta for Thaksin's PPP* He said while the OAG recommended dissolution of the PPP in its petition, it asked the Constitution Court to decide whether all the 37 PPP executives or only those who had broken the law should be punished. He said the prosecution has rejected the PPP's request for the OAG and the Election Commission to set up a joint working team to gather more evidence in the case. He said the prosecution would not have filed the petition seeking the dissolution of the PPP had it not had sufficient evidence. According to Mr Thanapich, Seksan Bangsomboon, Executive Director for the Special Litigation Department, has been named as head of the prosecution's working team to argue the case in court. He said Mr Seksan has also been assigned to head the OAG teams working on dissolution cases against the Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties. Sukhumpong Ngonkham, acting Deputy Secretary-General of the PPP, said the party will

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http://www.bangkokpost.com/111008_News/11Oct2008_news11.php

Edited October 10, 2008 by sriracha john