A military-appointed tribunal has brought down its verdict on sweeping electoral fraud charges against Thailand's two largest parties, but the future of the country's struggle for democracy remains far from clear. In the immediate term, the Democrat Party is resurgent, the Thai Rak Thai (Thai Loves Thai) of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is history, and popular revolt appears muted. Yet the generals may not be ready to bow out of politics.
Barring any major social upheavals or new military interventions, it was a verdict that promises to change fundamentally the complexion of Thailand's democratic politics for the foreseeable future.
Thailand's Constitutional Tribunal on Wednesday handed down an unexpected split decision on electoral-fraud charges, stemming from annulled April 2006 polls, against the country's two largest political parties, ruling in favor of the Democrat Party and against the once-dominant Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party.
TRT was founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted last September 19 in a military coup on charges of corruption, disloyalty to the crown, and sowing social divisions that threatened the country's democracy. Wednesday's decision in effect dissolves the party and bans the now-exiled Thaksin and 110 TRT executive members from entering politics for the next five years.
Source: Asia Times Online
Thailand: One way to leave your lover
Thailand: One way to leave your lover
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