Thai Court Disbands Party of Ex-Premier

BANGKOK, May 30 -- A court disbanded the political party of Thailand's ousted prime minister Wednesday, barring him and 110 party executives from politics for five years for violating election laws.

The ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal followed a guilty verdict against the Thai Rak Thai party for financing obscure parties to run against it last year to get around election turnout rules. The court also disbanded three smaller parties, two of them hired by Thai Rak Thai.

The ban is a stunning end for a party that two years ago was the most powerful in Thailand. Its demise began after the military overthrew Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September. The bloodless coup followed demonstrations by tens of thousands of people demanding Thaksin's resignation and accusing him of corruption.

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

The April 2006 balloting was annulled by the courts, leaving Thailand with a caretaker government.

The tribunal's decision, which cannot be appealed, was greeted with shock and tears at Thai Rak Thai headquarters, where hundreds watched the proceedings on television. Party leaders, however, urged supporters not to protest.

"We want to insist that we will not protest the ruling," Thai Rak Thai leader Chaturon Chaisaeng told reporters. "We know you are confused, some are disappointed. But we ask you to be patient and be prudent. As long as people have faith and belief in our party platforms, there will be a way out."

Before the ruling, Thaksin had also appealed for calm from exile in London. "We have to respect the rules of the game. That is, the rule of the law," he said.

Thai Rak Thai became the first party to win an absolute majority in parliament in 2005, and it remains popular with rural voters.

Earlier Wednesday, the court cleared Thailand's oldest political party of election law violations, bringing cheers and chants of "Democrats fight on" from crowds gathered at the Democrat Party headquarters.

The court ruled that the party had not maligned Thaksin or urged voters to cast a "no" vote. It also acquitted the party of using a smaller party to trick Thai Rak Thai into election law violations, and ruled that it had not obstructed a parliamentary candidate from registering in a southern area.

"Today is the day many of us have been waiting for," said Abhisit Vejjajiva, Democrat Party leader. "From tomorrow on, we have much to do, and our priority is to bring back democracy to the country and go forward with the elections."