Chaturon vows to revive Thai Rak Thai party

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Source: CCTV.com | 06-01-2007 09:40

Acting Thai Rak Thai leader Chaturon Chaisaeng, left, is greeted by supporters as he arrives at party headquarters Thursday, May 31, 2007, in Bangkok. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

In Thailand, the leader of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party says a new party would be set up under the same name. Chaturon Chaisaeng also says that his party would file an appeal against the Constitution Tribunal's ruling that bans 111 Thai Rak Thai executives from politics for five years.

Thailand's Constitutional Tribunal on Wednesday found the Thai Rak Thai party guilty of bribing two small parties to run in last year's elections to get around rules requiring a minimum voter turnout.

The court ordered the Thai Rak Thai party to be dismantled, and 111 of its members -- many of them veteran politicians -- banned from politics for five years.

Three other smaller parties - two of them hired by Thai Rak Thai - were also disbanded.

The former leader of Thai Rak Thai, Chaturon Chaisaeng called on the Party supporters not to protest.

Chaturon Chaisaeng said, "It will be very difficult for us, the Thai Rak Thai, but we will still see a solution. We still believe we can still carry on and we will join with people in struggling for democracy."

The decision against Thai Rak Thai came hours after the Democrat Party, the country's oldest and a rival of Thaksin's party, was found innocent of election law violations.

Besides strengthening the Democrat Party, the court's decision is likely to unleash a flurry of political activity in the coming months, with new parties springing up to fill the vacuum left by Thai Rak Thai.

The Thai government promised to hold elections in December after a new constitution is promulgated.

Editor:Du Xiaodan