Thai Protesters End Siege

Thai protesters said they will end their siege at Bangkok’s major airport after Thailand’s top court dissolved the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and two of its coalition partners for electoral fraud.

The decisions spell the end of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat’s brief term in power, as he is one of the 35-member executive board of the ruling People Power Party. Executive board members are banned from politics for five years as a result of the decision. 

The decisions spell the end of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat’s brief term in power, as he is one of the 35-member executive board of the ruling People Power Party. Executive board members are banned from politics for five years as a result of the decision. Somchai said that he accepted the court’s call for him to step down shortly after the verdict was announced; the ruling coalition, however, should remain largely intact. Regular members of the three parties – the People Power Party, Chart Thai Party and Matchima Thipithai Party – have 60 days to join another political party. PPP members were already preparing to migrate to the newly formed Puea Thai Party, and other parties have been set up to accommodate members of Chart Thai and Matchima Thipathai. In total, 109 lawmakers were banned.

Members of the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy, occupying Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport, cheered and hugged on hearing the news.

~ by topofthenews on December 2, 2008.