Home / International / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Thaksin Party Banned
Adjust font size:

A Thai court last night disbanded the political party of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra over election law violations.

The Constitutional Tribunal earlier found the Thai Rak Thai party guilty of financing obscure parties to run against it in last year's elections to get around rules requiring a minimum voter turnout.

"The defendant is responsible for holding up democratic ways. It used parliamentary elections only as a means to achieve totalitarian power," Judge Vichai Chuenchompoonuj said.

"It goes to show that the defendant does not believe in the democratic system. It also shows no respect for the rule of law."

The verdict came hours after the court acquitted the Democrat Party of any wrongdoing in last year's inconclusive election.

"The tribunal throws out the request to disband" the Democrat Party, Judge Nurak Mapraneet said after the Constitutional Tribunal spent four hours summing up the case before announcing the verdict on national television.

Democrat supporters exploded into cheers after their party was acquitted of four charges of election breaches in the election called by Thaksin to defuse street protests against him.

"The cases to disband the parties have undermined investor confidence for so long. From now on, we must move toward the elections and real democracy," party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

(China Daily via agencies May 31, 2007)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- Thaksin Can Return, But No Politics: Thai PM
- Thaksin to Return to Thailand This Year
- Thai Deputy PM Resigns
- Thai Deputy PM's Resignation Deals Blow to Confidence in Gov't
- Thaksin May Face Lese Majeste Charges, Jail
- Former Thai PM's Wife in Tax Evasion Imbroglio
- Seven Bombs Rock Thai South, Nine Injured
Most Viewed >>
> Korean Nuclear Talks
> Reconstruction of Iraq
> Middle East Peace Process
> Iran Nuclear Issue
> 6th SCO Summit Meeting
Links
- China Development Gateway
- Foreign Ministry
- Network of East Asian Think-Tanks
- China-EU Association
- China-Africa Business Council
- China Foreign Affairs University
- University of International Relations
- Institute of World Economics & Politics
- Institute of Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies
- Institute of West Asian & African Studies
- Institute of Latin American Studies
- Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies
- Institute of Japanese Studies