Dissolved parties will reform as new entities / Coalition partners vow they will stick together
Written by Gunboy on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
Dissolved parties will reform as new entities / Coalition partners vow they will stick together
POST REPORTERS
The People Power, Chart Thai and Matchimathipataya parties are to be reborn under different names as they reel from the political blow of being dissolved by the Constitution Court.
Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa is crestfallen after delivering a closing statement to the Constitution Court, which disbanded his 34-yearold party. APICHIT JINAKUL
Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa said his party would “regenerate” under a new name and would not merge with any party.
Chart Thai deputy leader Somsak Prissananantakul yesterday admitted a replacement party will be up and running soon. The new name is being mulled over, possibly Chart Thai Pattana.
Mr Somsak said Chumpol Silpa-archa, a former senator and Mr Banharn’s younger brother, may be invited to lead the new party. However, it is too early to decide, Mr Somsak said.
The Constitution Court yesterday disbanded the 34-year-old Chart Thai, the country’s second oldest political party, the Matchimathipataya party and the ruling People Power party (PPP).
Executives of the parties were stripped of their political rights for five years.
Mr Banharn said the dissolution would not be the end of Chart Thai as people still had faith in his party.
He denied it would merge with Puea Thai, a back-up party of the PPP.
Nikorn Chamnong, another deputy leader of Chart Thai, said the party had tried its best to fight the charges and its MPs will move to a new party.
He was confident all 15 Chart Thai MPs would not defect to other parties.
Chart Thai secretary-general Prapat Pothasuthon said he was stunned by the court’s ruling. The party would meet over its fate soon.
Three Silpa-archas - Mr Banharn, his daughter Kanchana and son Warawut - face a five-year political ban. Suphan Buri is the family’s stronghold.
Mr Warawut was named deputy transport minister only two months ago.
Mr Warawut vowed to return to politics after the political ban expires. He noted the court may have rushed to wrap up the trial and did not give the accused enough time to defend themselves.
A source said Mr Banharn was very sad his party was dissolved. He would likely approach his younger brother Mr Chumpol to lead the new party.
Many PPP MPs, meanwhile, plan to move to Puea Thai.
Natthawut Saikua, the former government spokesman, reiterated that all six coalition parties would stick together and form a new government.
Matchimathipataya leader Anongwan Thepsuthin said the 11 party MPs would meet to discuss their future. She admitted the party had already set up a reserve party - Phumchai Thai (Thai Pride).
Ms Anongwan, wife of Somsak Thepsuthin who is among the 111 executives of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai banned from politics for five years as well, said the court was rather quick to pass the verdict.
“The verdict came out shortly after I read out my closing statement. Does this mean the court did not care about what the party had to say? What is going on with the judicial system?” Mrs Anongwan, the natural resources and environment minister until yesterday, said.
She said questionable standards in the judicial system were a prime cause of the country’s political strife.
The party leader, who is now out of politics for five years, admitted the Constitution Court’s ruling to dissolve her party was beyond her expectation.
She said reliable sources had told her the party would survive the dissolution.
Pornthiwa Nakasai, a Matchimathipataya MP, confirmed the coalition parties would be united behind the PPP.
Bangkok Post
Wednesday December 03, 2008
