Attorney-General Pachara Yutithamdamrong talks to the press after meeting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at Government House.

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday summoned Attorney-General Pachara Yutithamdamrong on the eve of a landmark decision by public prosecutors that could lead to the ruling party's dissolution.

Yesterday's meeting has led to criticism, amid fears the case could end up with two key figures in the Thai Rak Thai Party - deputy party leader Thamarak Isarangura and deputy secretary-general Pongsak Ruktapongpisal - being sacrificed for the party's survival. The two are accused of involvement in an alleged scheme to "buy an opposition", by bankrolling small parties to contest the April 2 election.

Pachara said yesterday's meeting with Thaksin had nothing to do with the case.

He said Thaksin had merely instructed him to carry out his work in a straightforward manner in accordance to law.

"He said I should stick to the law and not give anyone special consideration, not even him,'' the Attorney General said.

Pachara, along with Depart-ment of Special Investigation director-general General Sombat Amornwiwat and National Intelligence Agency chief Jumpol Manmai met with Thaksin at Government House for more than an hour yesterday.

Pachara said he would hold to the principles of unity, righteousness and preventing upheaval in the country when making his decision.

"I am not afraid of politicians, because they come and go. I am a legal enforcer, and I must uphold the justice system," he said.

"Even though Thaksin has told the media that Thai Rak Thai Party will be not be dissolved, that's his opinion, which may be different from mine," he said.

A critical decision prosecutors must make is whether the actions of some of its executives are legally binding on the party itself. Thai Rak Thai stands accused of paying small parties to contest the April 2 general election, to lend it a sense of legitimacy after major opposition parties boycotted the poll.

Office of the Attorney-General spokesman Attapol Yaisawang said it had submitted more than 2,000 pages of notes detailing its investigation to the 11-member fact-finding panel which will decide today whether to prosecute the party.

The panel will focus on actions allegedly committed by Defence Minister Thamarak and Transport Minister Pongsak and whether they acted on behalf of the Thai Rak Thai Party.

Both are members of the party's executive board.

Attapol dismissed suggestions the prosecutor does not have a solid case because the Election Commission did not question Thai Rak Thai Party leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

He said he personally felt the case carried enough weight without interviewing Thaksin.

The panel will decide whether to propose that Pachara take the matter to the Constitution Court for ruling on party dissolution, or to return the investigation file to the political party's registrar to appoint a joint panel to take action via Article 44 of the Constitution against the party.

Critics said the timing for yesterday's meeting between Thaksin and Pachara was "not right", as it took place on the eve of the landmark decision by the OAG.

Democrat Party executive member Satit Wongnongtoei said that although the premier and Pachara had discussed the situation in the deep South, they should have picked a less controversial day.

He said such a meeting aroused suspicions, particularly given that the government stands accused of interfering with independent organisations.

"The prime minister should keep his distance from the Attorney-General until the

case is completed," Satit said.

Political scientist Prayad Hongthongkham said it was hard to believe that Thaksin and Pachara didn't even talk about the Thai Rak Thai case.

He said he saw no reason why the premier should call the Attorney-General to talk about the situation in the South. "The attorney-general is not involved in the South problem."

He said Thaksin and Pachara should have waited until today's decision had been made.

Besides his controversial meeting with the Attorney-General, Thaksin also met yesterday with the police chief and head of the National Intelligence Bureau at Government House.

Komsan Phokong, a lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said if the OAG decided to seek a Constitution Court ruling, the court may acquit the TRT members for lack of proof.

Individuals committed the offence, but the EC incriminated the party as the wrongdoer, without specifying that the offence was committed by Thamarak and Pongsak, he said.

"I believe this was the EC's tactic in writing the investigation file," he said.

Thai Rak Thai Party deputy leader Pongthep Thepkanchana insisted yesterday the charges against the party were nothing more than accusations.

"The party is a legal entity, how can it commit wrongdoing? Thamarak insisted he had nothing to do with the video clips shown by the Democrats' secretary-general as evidence. The accusations that the people seen in the video clip were at the Defence Ministry to be paid Bt50,000 seems strange,'' Ponghtep said.

Thai Rak Thai deputy Somsak Thepsuthin hailed Thaksin for giving party members the confidence to move on with the next election by declaring that the party would not be dissolved.

"Now everyone is happy and we will go ahead with the election campaign,'' he said.

Chat Thai Party leader Banharn Silapa-archa said he didn't think the Thai Rak Thai Party would be dissolved because it still had immense "inner power".

"Since I have been in politics for 30 years, I have never seen anyone as strong as Thaksin. He has faced both public and media pressure and yet more pressures, but still refuses to give up,'' Banharn said.

Piyanart Srivalo,

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation