The Office of the Attorney-General has called for the dissolution of the Democrat Party and a five-year ban on 40 of its officials for receiving some US$ 8 million in illegal donations from a cement baron. The deputy prime minister excludes any early elections before the Constitutional Court decides in the matter.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Thailand’s ruling party, the Democrat Party (DP), could be fined heavily and have some of its leading figures banned for alleged illegal donations to the party in 2004 and 2005. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva could also be implicated because at the time of alleged kickbacks he was deputy chairman of the party. However, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has dismissed calls for dissolving parliament before a ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court.

Prosecutors from the Office of the Attorney-General are set to ask the Constitutional Court to dissolve the Democrat Party and ban a number of its top officials who held positions in 2004 and 2005 from active politics for five years.

Deputy Attorney-General Waiyawut Lortrakul said yesterday that prosecutors have finished drafting the recommendation and have sent a 100-page document to Attorney-General Chulasingh Vasantasingh for approval.

If there are no changes, the document will be handed over today to the Constitutional Court. The first hearing would be on 9 August.

According to the deputy attorney-general, the DP is accused of receiving 258 million baht (US$ 8 million) from TPI Polene Plc, a giant cement manufacturer founded by businessman-turned-politician Prachai Leophairatana in 2005.

The prosecutors are also recommending that the court ban from politics about 40 party officials who held top positions in 2004 and 2005, including current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, for five years, the Bangkok Post reported.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said today that the House of Representatives would not be dissolved before the Constitutional Court rules on whether or not the Democrat Party should be dissolved.

He also denied rumours that suggest that a new party, Khemkaeng Party, is being set up to replace the DP in case the latter is dissolved by judicial action. Asked about it, he said he was not aware of it.

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