THAILAND S election commission has called for disbanding the ruling People Power Party over claims of vote buying, in a fresh legal blow for the government that is facing bloody protests.
The recommendation came as Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, after clashes between his supporters and opponents during the night left one person dead.
The commission made the recommendation to the Office of the Attorney-General, which now must conduct its own review of the case, commission spokesman Ruengroj Chomsueb told AFP today.
If prosecutors decide to take up the case, they could ask the Constitutional Court to disband the party and ban its leadership from politics.
The case stems from a conviction against the party s deputy leader Yongyut Tiyapairat, who the Supreme Court has found guilty of vote buying during campaigning for elections in December.
Samak s government already faces a barrage of other legal woes, and three ministers have been forced to resign after court battles in July.
His PPP was created to replace the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a bloodless coup in 2006.
The Constitutional Court disbanded Thai Rak Thai after the coup and banned Thaksin and other top party leaders from politics for five years.
Thaksin tapped Samak to lead the new PPP, which then won elections in December.
The PPP has already registered a new party to rally their supporters, in case it loses the court battle.
AFP
Source : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24282194-2703,00.html
Photo : http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/12/24/svTHAILANDD_wideweb__470x354,0.jpg