Thailand’s prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is facing up to a growing collection of problems which could spell the end for his coalition government. There have been clear indications today that Abhisit may not have the undivided support of the military. Added to that, there have been rumblings of discontent from other coalition parties unhappy with the way Abhisit has handled the red shirt protests in Bangkok. However, the final blow for Abhisit could come from the Thai courts with the possibility that the ruling Democrat Party could be disbanded following a legal decision.
A verdict today by the Election Commission found the Democrat Party guilty of receiving illegal donations totalling 258 million Baht. The case has been ongoing for some time, but last week a group of red shirts converged on the Election Commission HQ to demand a speedy resolution. Anti-government protesters in Bangkok have cheered today’s announcement. The case will now be referred to the Attorney General who will decide whether it then goes to the Constitution Court. If the Constitution Court upholds the Election Commission verdict, the Democrat Party could be dissolved and members of the executive may be banned from politics for five years.
Electoral fraud and the banning of political parties has been a feature of Thai politics over the years. It was a similar legal ruling in December 2008 that paved the way for the Democrat Party to form the present coalition government.
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