PARTY DISSOLUTION

People Power, Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties disbanded

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Court on Tuesday ruled to disband three coalition parties, People Power, Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya, and banned the three's party executives from electoral process for five years.

The high court held the three parties for accountability on electoral fraud involving party executives, Yongyuth Tiyapairat of People Power, Monthien Songpracha of Chart Thai and Sunthorn Wilawan of Matchima Thipataya.

In the fraud case linked to People Power Party, the high court cited the Yongyuth conviction by the Supreme Court as the ground to penalise the ruling party.

For cases linked to Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya, it invoked the rulings by the Election Commission as the basis to punish the two parties.

The nine presiding judges reached unanimous decisions against People Power and Matchima Thipataya parties. And they formed the eight-to-one decision to punish Chart Thai.

The high court opined that the punishment by disbandment was mandatory as sanctioned by Article 237 of the Constitution and that it had no leeway to selectively punish the party executives on the individual basis.

-- The Nation 2008-12-02

BBC also reporting it here

just had the SMS from BKK Post

Baned for 5 years ! .......

I see the same in the Nation website

Thailand ruling party dissolved

On Monday, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said he would not resign

Thailand's constitutional court has dissolved the governing People Power Party (PPP) saying there had been vote fraud during the last election.

The party's leaders, including Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, were also banned from politics for five years.

But, under the constitution most of its MPs can keep their seats under another party name, and should be able to form another government, correspondents say.

Earlier, an anti-government protester was killed at a Bangkok airport.

Now you'll see the election with a brand new squeaky clean "PPP". (Run by Thaksin of course).

Did you think that they haven't been waiting for this?

Charter court dissolves Matchima Thipataya

The Constitution Court unanimously dissolves Matchima Thipataya Party and banned its executive board members from politics for five years.

The Nation

Surely there must be more to the ruling than just that???

Constitution Court dissolves People Power Party

The Constitution Court dissolves People Power Party and ban its executive board members for five years.

The Nation

Thai court dissolves ruling party

15 minutes ago

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand's constitutional court on Tuesday dissolved the country's ruling party and banned Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from politics for five years over a case of voting fraud.

"The constitutional court unanimously agrees to disband the People Power Party," said Chat Chonlaworn, head of the nine-judge Constitutional Court panel.

"As the court decided to dissolve the People Power Party, therefore the leader of the party and party executives must be banned from politics for five years," he added.

Source: AFP

Thats good, Party over, Everybody can fly home now !!

Will someone please tell the PAD so we can use the airports?

they will still have the majority in the parliament and in any future elections - at least there is a hope, that PAD will stop messing around

so, what's the next move ?

Who care what party is dissoved or not. Who cares who is Thaksin or Sondhi.

Can you please open Swampy now. I have a flight to catch TONIGHT.

I hope this decision appeases the protesters, and will allow the country to take a step back from the brink.

I thought the Royal Parade was today & that Somchai swore to attend.

P.S. PAD going nowhere till Somchai resigns.

Barry - I doubt you are holding a ticket. Get to a bus station.

great so now we swap yellow terrorists for red terrorists ?

Anyone know for sure if the PPP, after a process of metamorphosis, can just re-emerge as the XXX party and take over as government or do they have to rerun the election as confirmation?

At least Somchai can now step aside having saved face by having not resigned. An honourable Thai solution.

I hope this appeases the protesters and they will release their grips on the airports - as soon as the banned politicians and their friends have stepped down.

This is another sad decison by courts that are politcal pawns:

THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AHRC-STM-298-2008

November 26, 2008

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law

Already, the criminal justice system of Thailand has been reduced to an utter joke, its agencies and personnel either unable or unwilling to intervene effectively to protect public property and people's lives, or even prosecute wrongdoers. That the security forces can carry out coups on the whimsy of generals and engage in battles over trifles with those of neighbouring countries but not responsibly protect the Government House or international airport is sheer farce. That government agencies have been forced to negotiate and cut their losses rather than insist that the law be enforced is dangerous folly. And that the senior judiciary, which through a succession of highly politicised judgments has played a major part in contributing to the current mess has nothing useful to contribute when lives are at stake and the country is in greatest need of intelligent guidance is altogether shameful. About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile....tatements/1779/

Court dissolves Thai government for election fraud

17 minutes ago

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Thailand's Constitutional Court has dissolved the main ruling party and banned the prime minister along with 36 party executives from politics for 5 years.

The ruling sinks Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government, which has faced strident protests for months seeking its ouster.

The court found the People's Power Party and its executive members, including Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, guilty of electoral fraud.

Tuesday's ruling raises hopes that thousands of anti-government protesters will end their siege of the country's two main airports.

Constitutional Court President Chat Chalavorn said the "court has decided to dissolve the party to set a political standard and an example."

He said "dishonest political parties undermine Thailand's democratic system."

Source: AP

great so now we swap yellow terrorists for red terrorists ?

Indeed, and it will be interesting to see if those posters calling for PADs blood will continue with their hard line towards the Red...as they all clame to not the pro-PPP.

(Besides what, 2 users that are madly in-love with Thaksin. Even thought he...ehh...has nothing to do with PPP...or so they say...it all gets very confusing when they try to justify their irrational postings. )

NO chance that the airport will open any time soon. Not enough to appease the PAD, I'm afraid. They want much more than this.

Thai ruling party ordered dissolved

Government supporters had surrounded the court to try to stop the hearing [EPA]

Thailand's Constitutional Court has ordered the dissolution of the ruling People Power party for electoral fraud.

The court also ruled on Tuesday that Somchai Wongsawat, the prime minister, and 36 other party members be banned from politics for five years.

Chat Chonlaworn, the head of the nine-judge court panel, said "as the court decided to dissolve the People Power party, therefore the leader of the party and party executives must be banned from politics for five years".

"The court had no other option," he said.

The court had earlier changed venues for the hearing after hundreds of government supporters surrounded the building to try to stop the hearing.

Also on Tuesday, a coalition of Thai business groups urged the ruling party to step down as a way of defusing the political crisis.

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking also called on the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to end its "illegal" blockade of Bangkok's airports and said the government should call a snap election.

Source: Al Jazeera

OK Thats it game over for now

Who is running Thailand Now Mr Nobody or same Man as before

Who care what party is dissoved or not. Who cares who is Thaksin or Sondhi.

Can you please open Swampy now. I have a flight to catch TONIGHT.

airport needs a week before itll reopen kid

..i wonder if the PPP would accept me as their next useless leader??

NO chance that the airport will open any time soon. Not enough to appease the PAD, I'm afraid. They want much more than this.

exactly my thoughts

This is another sad decison by courts that are politcal pawns:

THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AHRC-STM-298-2008

November 26, 2008

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law

Already, the criminal justice system of Thailand has been reduced to an utter joke, its agencies and personnel either unable or unwilling to intervene effectively to protect public property and people's lives, or even prosecute wrongdoers. That the security forces can carry out coups on the whimsy of generals and engage in battles over trifles with those of neighbouring countries but not responsibly protect the Government House or international airport is sheer farce. That government agencies have been forced to negotiate and cut their losses rather than insist that the law be enforced is dangerous folly. And that the senior judiciary, which through a succession of highly politicised judgments has played a major part in contributing to the current mess has nothing useful to contribute when lives are at stake and the country is in greatest need of intelligent guidance is altogether shameful. About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile....tatements/1779/

The only joke I see is that statement (the misspellings are horrible - must be a Thaksin front organisation). The law is the law. PPP broke the law. Chart Thai broke the law. The judges issued their verdict in accordance with the law. While we may or may not agree that the punishment fits the crime, the punishment was correct according to the law. In my view the only positive effect of the 2006 coup was that it seemed to free the judiciary from the undo influence that Thaksin wielded over them. They seem to be acting according to "he who must not be named" direction that they rule according to the rule of law and with integrity for the sake of the nation.