APSN | Thai court rules against constitution amendments, dismisses petition to dissolve ruling party

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Thai court rules against constitution amendments, dismisses petition to dissolve ruling party

Agence France Presse - November 20, 2013

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Thailand's Constitutional Court has ruled that government efforts to amend the constitution were illegal, but has stopped short of dissolving the ruling party.

The court ruled five to four that the amendments, supported by the Puea Thai Party and its coalition of lawmakers, violated the country's charter. "The judges dismissed the petition to dissolve the political parties," Constitutional Court judge Jaroon Intaracha said, reading the ruling.

But he criticised the process of pushing through a proposal to amend the constitution to make the Thai senate a fully-elected body.

The court said the amendment "aimed to obtain power in an undemocratic way", adding that some MPs had been found to have voted on behalf of others, a practice it said was "illegal". It added the ruling party's amendment bid was "unconstitutional".

The verdict could ease some tensions in the capital Bangkok, where thousands of demonstrators have gathered in recent weeks in an attempt to destabilise the government.

Hundreds of riot police were deployed in and around the court ahead of Wednesday's ruling on the constitution, drawn up under the military junta that deposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra

Judicial rulings have played an important role in politically turbulent Thailand. Two pro-Thaksin premiers were forced from office in 2008 by such rulings, making way for the opposition Democrat Party, which is backed by the military and Bangkok's elite, to take power in a parliamentary vote.

The pro-government Red Shirt rally group, which has gathered over 20,000 people in the capital ahead of the verdict, welcomed the court decision not to dissolve the ruling Puea Thai party.

But the group slammed the court's ruling against the amendment. "If we cannot amend one article, how about the whole constitution," Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan said.

A lawyer for the opposition Democrat Party said the ruling should trigger the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister. "The amendment, which was not based on rule of law, but to benefit of specific people, cannot go through," said Virat Karlayasiri.