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Published on December 29, 2007

Secretary-general Anongwan Thepsuthin also signed the petition. £

The letter was filed with deputy leader Pramual Leophairatana, Prachai's younger brother.

The petition was raised after the Matchima Thipataya Party registrar, Thanaporn Sriyakul, attempted to stop a meeting designed to oust him yesterday. The meeting had been called by Prachai.

Thanaporn argued that because Prachai was in his view no longer the leader of the party, the meeting was illegitimate.

Thanaporn said he had climbed 10 flights of stairs in order to block the meeting and instructed other executives to remove Prachai from the proceedings. As a result of his action, the meeting fell through.

However, another meeting took place - without Prachai - at which Anongwan and the party's seven winning candidates discussed issues related to forming the next government.

Before the talks took place, Thanaporn, the former caretaker leader, said Prachai had no right to preside over the meeting, and the decision to oust the registrar belonged to the party's executives.

Thanaporn said he based his opinion on the fact that he had signed his approval after Prachai submitted his resignation from the party on December 4.

He said his approval had made the document effective, even though Prachai tore it up two days later.

As a result of yesterday's events, the protesting registrar has been put on probation for provocation.

Party spokesman Narong Piriya-anek added a fresh twist when he said he had met with election commissioner Sodsri Satayathum a week ago.

He said she had informed him that Prachai was still the party leader, as the document Thanaporn filed to the Election Commission was merely a copy.

The commission has not approved Prachai's resignation.

Prachai was the party's financier for the December 23 general election.

The Nation