Referring to OAG spokesman Atthapol Yaisawang's comment that all the accused political parties could be dissolved, Tribunal member ML Krairerk Kasemsant said the parties involved should respect the others while commenting on the cases.

Atthapol said yesterday he had not meant to comment on the case since it was the under the Tribunal's consideration. However, as the Attorney-General was the plaintiff, it was normal to say there was a possibility the accused parties would be found guilty and dissolved, he said.

Yesterday was the 11th hearing of the electoral fraud cases against the Democrat and Progressive Democratic parties.

Next Thursday will be the last hearing in the case, when former Songkhla MP Wirat Kalayasiri, deputy party leader Trairong Suwankhiri and Songkhla election director Paitoon Jehae will testify.

The Tribunal has scheduled the final hearing in the other electoral fraud case - against the Thai Rak Thai, Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground parties - for April 12.

During yesterday's hearing, Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Thaworn Senneam denied taking part in or supporting the blockade of MP candidate registrations in Songkhla last April.

Thaworn said Chalee Noppawong, a community radio host who headed the protesters, was not close to deputy Democrat Party leader Trairong Suwankhiri as alleged. He said the men knew each other but Trairong had avoided being close to Chalee for 10 years as Chalee used to behave in a way that could ruin Trairong's reputation.

Witnesses said in a previous hearing that Chalee had placed a large photo of Trairong in his office, showing he was close to the Democrat deputy leader.

Former Songkhla MP Jua Ratchasi yesterday also denied joining the blockade. He and another former MP had gone to the provincial Election Commission office to file a complaint after learning that there was electoral fraud in many constituencies. However, the protesters who obstructed the registration were gathering outside the office's fence, Jua said.

Thaikorn Polsuwan, coordinator of the Isaan Liberation Front, a group that opposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said he was investigating electoral fraud by the Thai Rak Thai Party in the April 2 election and had gone to meet the leader of Better Life Party Watwarit Tantipirom.

Thaikorn is accused of being a negotiator to hire Watwarit to frame Thai Rak Thai.

Thaikorn has been a member of the Democrat, Thai Citizen and Social Action parties and also formed the Thai People Party. He applied to join the Democrats again last year but was refused.

The Election Commission (EC) has submitted a CD recording of Thaikorn's conversation with Watwarit to the Tribunal as evidence.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation