Thai election body calls for dissolution of ruling party

THAILAND’S election body called for the dissolution of the ruling party, piling the pressure on embattled Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva after the bloodiest political unrest in 18 years.

The move, which centres on allegations of an illegal multi-million-dollar donation to the Democrat Party during 2005 elections, raised the stakes in the stand-off between Abhisit and “Red Shirt” protesters.

The demonstrators, who have been rallying for a month demanding snap elections and the resignation of Abhisit, paraded their dead through Bangkok’s streets yesterday after 21 people were killed in clashes on Saturday.

Abhisit alleged “terrorists” had incited the violence and insisted the government remained united in tackling the crisis, which pits Thailand’s military-backed rulers against the rural poor.

“The government is unified and determined to solve this problem,” he said in a nationally televised address.

Both the government and protesters appeared more deeply entrenched than ever following the deadly unrest that also left more than 800 people injured.

A spokesman for the Democrat Party, Buranaj Smutharaks, said it would challenge the election commission’s recommendation, which refers to a donation made when Abhisit was deputy leader of the party.

“The case is not over yet. It must be investigated by the attorney general and then go to the constitutional court,” he said. But experts said the commission’s call was significant in a country where the last government in 2008 was brought down by a court ruling.

The Reds charge that the current government is illegitimate because it came to power in 2008 after a court ousted allies of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power.