Thailand: Confident Democrats Prepare For Case

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DEMOCRAT'S DISSOLUTION CASE

Confident Democrats prepare for case

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat Party is mapping out its strategy to fight its party dissolution case and will likely recruit chief adviser Chuan Leekpai to head the defence team, MP and chief counsel Nipit Intharasombat said yesterday.

The party's legal advisory team is expected to meet on Tuesday to finalise its defence plans.

"The Democrats are not overly concerned about their party being dissolved," Nipit said.

Although the main coalition party is facing two electoral charges, there is no evidence suggesting the party was directly involved in or a beneficiary of the alleged fraud, he said.

On the first charge, related to the Bt258 million in alleged campaign contributions from TPI Polene - rigged as publicity spending through Messiah Business and Creation, an advertising firm - there is no evidence the party received any ill-gotten funds, he said.

On the second charge, related to the alleged misappropriation of Bt29 million in party funds, the party had spending records as proof to rebut any wrongdoing, he said.

In regard to its defence, the party has yet to decide whether to fight the two charges in the Constitution Court or take the first charge to the Administrative Court before addressing the constitutional offence, he said.

Democrat MP Wirat Kalayasiri said he expected the judicial proceedings on the dissolution case to take between eight months to a year to complete, hence there was no justification to speculate about the collapse of the government or the qualifications of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at this juncture.

There is also a common misunderstanding to compare the case involving the Democrats with that involving the Thai Rak Thai Party, he said, arguing that the Thai Rak Thai disbanding was mandatory, based on a conviction for electoral fraud as prescribed by the organic law on the election of MPs and senators. But in the case involving the Democrats, the judicial proceedings will be based on a separate law on political parties, which does not prescribe mandatory punishment.

Even in case of a conviction, the Democrats are in no danger of mandatory disbanding or the blanket disqualification of party executives. The penalties would be confined to convicted executives.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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[givenall]

<deleted>. The court again. It seems we have only the court to rule and the Government or others have to ask the court to do anything, but no one to enforce the ruling after the court has ruled, especially if you don’t like the ruling that has come down

[ChiangMaiFun]

"The Democrats are not overly concerned about their party being dissolved," Nipit said

I wonder why? says it all...? probably another whitewash coming as it's the Yellows

[craigt3365]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

[Gary A]

The courts know very well that buying judges and politicians is VERY expensive. This too will blow over UNLESS Thaksin already bought the judges.

[ChiangMaiFun]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

Let's see... the EC has already reached it's verdict - no doubt they had all the facts and figuers - personally anyone, whatever colour, who is guilty deserves to be punished (not sure about banning whole parties but that's another thread). IF they could ever (yawn) clean up Thai politics it would be a miracle.

[craigt3365]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

Let's see... the EC has already reached it's verdict - no doubt they had all the facts and figuers - personally anyone, whatever colour, who is guilty deserves to be punished (not sure about banning whole parties but that's another thread). IF they could ever (yawn) clean up Thai politics it would be a miracle.

The whole judicial system here is a joke. Police, army and politicians included. Really sad Thai's allow such corruption. This could be such a great country...but is now just barely above Burma in terms of international respect and transparency.

But, what can we do...just post comments here on TV...

[pornsasi]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

Reds nothing to do with dems corruption .

When its TRT or PPP its ok , when its the dems , (who by the way were whitewashed in 2007 , while TRT was banned for the sames charges) then its not ok .

Kind of one sided , dont you think ?

[way2muchcoffee]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

Reds nothing to do with dems corruption .

When its TRT or PPP its ok , when its the dems , (who by the way were whitewashed in 2007 , while TRT was banned for the sames charges) then its not ok .

Kind of one sided , dont you think ?

Except that't not true now is it? The Democrat leadership was not involved in electoral fraud and therefore they were not dissolved. The PPP leadership were filmed engaging in vote buying and electoral fraud and were dissolved, as per the law.

[davelec]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

Reds nothing to do with dems corruption .

When its TRT or PPP its ok , when its the dems , (who by the way were whitewashed in 2007 , while TRT was banned for the sames charges) then its not ok .

Kind of one sided , dont you think ?

Except that't not true now is it? The Democrat leadership was not involved in electoral fraud and therefore they were not dissolved. The PPP leadership were filmed engaging in vote buying and electoral fraud and were dissolved, as per the law.

Exlpain then how it was that if the democrats were not guilty of corruption, why the EC voted 4-1 in favor that they were

[way2muchcoffee]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

Reds nothing to do with dems corruption .

When its TRT or PPP its ok , when its the dems , (who by the way were whitewashed in 2007 , while TRT was banned for the sames charges) then its not ok .

Kind of one sided , dont you think ?

Except that't not true now is it? The Democrat leadership was not involved in electoral fraud and therefore they were not dissolved. The PPP leadership were filmed engaging in vote buying and electoral fraud and were dissolved, as per the law.

Exlpain then how it was that if the democrats were not guilty of corruption, why the EC voted 4-1 in favor that they were

Different case entirely. The process is just beginning on this one. The investigation is much more involved if you read the particulars of the alleged violations by the Dems that the EC ruled on.

[shawndoc]

Let the case proceed. We'll see what information comes out. Perhaps there is a strong case for dissolution, or perhaps the EC was just responding to the raid on their offices by the red shirts a week or so ago.

Time will show.

If the evidence is there and the Democrats did wrong, they should be punished according to the law.

[way2muchcoffee]

Let the case proceed. We'll see what information comes out. Perhaps there is a strong case for dissolution, or perhaps the EC was just responding to the raid on their offices by the red shirts a week or so ago.

Time will show.

If the evidence is there and the Democrats did wrong, they should be punished according to the law.

Agreed. I have stated this before as well. If the Democrats are convicted in a court of law then they must face the appropriate punishment.

Edited April 16, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[Eurod]

Doesn't look like a whitewash...seems pretty logical to me. The ones stirring things up are the reds...along with telling all sorts of lies...

This political bickering is getting old...

Let's see... the EC has already reached it's verdict - no doubt they had all the facts and figuers - personally anyone, whatever colour, who is guilty deserves to be punished (not sure about banning whole parties but that's another thread). IF they could ever (yawn) clean up Thai politics it would be a miracle.

Will they try to ban The Full Moon Party?