Top Thai court ousts PM Somchai

A Thai court has ruled that PM Somchai Wongsawat must step down over election fraud, a ruling he has accepted. His governing People Power Party and two of its coalition partners have been ordered to disband and the parties' leaders have been barred from politics. Top Thai court ousts PM Somchai But it is unclear if the ruling ends a months-long political crisis, since other coalition MPs have vowed to form another government under a new name. Earlier, an anti-government protester was killed at a Bangkok airport. Local television reported that a grenade had been fired at Don Mueang airport, the capital's domestic hub, which has been occupied by the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) since last week. Protesters at Don Mueang and at Bangkok's main Suvarnabhumi international airport, who have brought the country's tourist industry to a standstill, cheered when they heard the news about the constitutional court's ruling. PAD supporters accuse Somchai's administration of being corrupt and hostile to the much-revered monarchy, and want the entire government to resign. They also accuse Somchai of being a proxy for his brother-in-law, exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Protest leaders said they would continue their occupation until they saw the shape of the next government. Somchai accepted the court's verdict, saying he was now "an ordinary citizen". Political standard Earlier on Tuesday, a protest by hundreds of red-shirted, pro-government supporters forced the constitutional court to move its final hearing to Bangkok's administrative courthouse. After fewer than three hours in session, the head of the nine-judge panel, Chat Chonlaworn, announced that the court had found the People Power Party (PPP), the Machima Thipatai party and the Chart Thai party guilty of vote-buying, and unanimously agreed to disband them. Dozens of the PPP's executive members, including Somchai, were also found guilty of personal involvement and banned from politics for five years. Judge Chat said that he hoped the ruling would "set a political standard". Outside the court, where a large crowd of pro-government activists had gathered after learning of the relocation, there was a furious reaction. Prime Minister Somchai's supporters accused the judges of sabotaging democracy and going against the people's will. One former minister said members of the PPP who had escaped the political ban imposed on its leaders would regroup and form another coalition government. "The verdict comes as no surprise to all of us," Jakrapob Penkair told the Reuters news agency. "But our members are determined to move on, and we will form a government again out of the majority that we believe we still have." Other PPP members said they would seek a parliamentary vote for a new prime minister on 8 December. Under the constitution, the disbanded parties are legally allowed to re-form under different names and form a new coalition, says the BBC in Bangkok. Divisions exposed The court's ruling will provoke anger throughout the heartland of the government's supporters in the north and north-east, says our correspondent. The ruling may not appease the PAD, especially if the governing coalition reforms under a new leadership without fresh elections being held. Thailand has been in political turmoil since former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a military coup in 2006. The PAD - a loose alliance of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class - claim that the government is corrupt and hostile to the monarchy. They also accuse it of being a proxy for Thaksin, who remains very popular among Thailand's rural poor. Fresh elections at the end of 2007 failed to resolve the crisis, when a party made up of former allies of Thaksin returned to power. Somchai's predecessor as prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, was thrown out of office in September, after being found guilty of violating conflict of interest rules by appearing in a television cookery program. Protesters occupied a central government complex for more than three months, only leaving on Monday to join the demonstrations at the airports. Cargo flights have resumed at Suvarnabhumi international airport, offering some relief to an economy that has been dealt a severe blow by the airport's closure, but at least 100,000 foreign visitors have been unable to leave. Shortly after the constitutional court's ruling on Tuesday, the government announced it was postponing a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, due for mid-December, until March.

Top Thai court ousts PM Somchai

But it is unclear if the ruling ends a months-long political crisis, since other coalition MPs have vowed to form another government under a new name.

Earlier, an anti-government protester was killed at a Bangkok airport.

Local television reported that a grenade had been fired at Don Mueang airport, the capital's domestic hub, which has been occupied by the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) since last week.

Protesters at Don Mueang and at Bangkok's main Suvarnabhumi international airport, who have brought the country's tourist industry to a standstill, cheered when they heard the news about the constitutional court's ruling.

PAD supporters accuse Somchai's administration of being corrupt and hostile to the much-revered monarchy, and want the entire government to resign.

They also accuse Somchai of being a proxy for his brother-in-law, exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Protest leaders said they would continue their occupation until they saw the shape of the next government.

Somchai accepted the court's verdict, saying he was now "an ordinary citizen".

Political standard

Earlier on Tuesday, a protest by hundreds of red-shirted, pro-government supporters forced the constitutional court to move its final hearing to Bangkok's administrative courthouse.

After fewer than three hours in session, the head of the nine-judge panel, Chat Chonlaworn, announced that the court had found the People Power Party (PPP), the Machima Thipatai party and the Chart Thai party guilty of vote-buying, and unanimously agreed to disband them.

Dozens of the PPP's executive members, including Somchai, were also found guilty of personal involvement and banned from politics for five years.

Judge Chat said that he hoped the ruling would "set a political standard".

Outside the court, where a large crowd of pro-government activists had gathered after learning of the relocation, there was a furious reaction.

Prime Minister Somchai's supporters accused the judges of sabotaging democracy and going against the people's will.

One former minister said members of the PPP who had escaped the political ban imposed on its leaders would regroup and form another coalition government.

"The verdict comes as no surprise to all of us," Jakrapob Penkair told the Reuters news agency. "But our members are determined to move on, and we will form a government again out of the majority that we believe we still have."

Other PPP members said they would seek a parliamentary vote for a new prime minister on 8 December.

Under the constitution, the disbanded parties are legally allowed to re-form under different names and form a new coalition, says the BBC in Bangkok.

Divisions exposed

The court's ruling will provoke anger throughout the heartland of the government's supporters in the north and north-east, says our correspondent.

The ruling may not appease the PAD, especially if the governing coalition reforms under a new leadership without fresh elections being held.

Thailand has been in political turmoil since former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

The PAD - a loose alliance of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class - claim that the government is corrupt and hostile to the monarchy.

They also accuse it of being a proxy for Thaksin, who remains very popular among Thailand's rural poor.

Fresh elections at the end of 2007 failed to resolve the crisis, when a party made up of former allies of Thaksin returned to power.

Somchai's predecessor as prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, was thrown out of office in September, after being found guilty of violating conflict of interest rules by appearing in a television cookery program.

Protesters occupied a central government complex for more than three months, only leaving on Monday to join the demonstrations at the airports.

Cargo flights have resumed at Suvarnabhumi international airport, offering some relief to an economy that has been dealt a severe blow by the airport's closure, but at least 100,000 foreign visitors have been unable to leave.

Shortly after the constitutional court's ruling on Tuesday, the government announced it was postponing a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, due for mid-December, until March.