Banharn irritated over EC remarks

"I reprimand Sumeth for making comments he should not have made. It's as if he wants to sway the EC to rule in favour of my party's disbandment," he said.

He was reacting to Sumeth's remarks on Wednesday who said the EC might not have a choice but to petition the Constitution Court to rule whether to disband Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties.

Sumeth aired his views in light of a legal dispute in which the EC could drop the charges or was required to seek a judicial review on the two parties linked to electoral fraud.

The ECappointed investigative panel recommended for charges be dropped on grounds the two parties had no involvement in campaign violations committed by party executives.

The EC instructed on Tuesday for its advisory panel to study relevant legal issues before forming a decision. It gave the panel until April 4 to report back the findings. On the following day, Sumeth invoked two key provisions to back his stand on the mandatory court ruling.

Banharn said Sumeth rushed to form his judgement even before EC legal advisors could sift through the pertinent issues. He added that Sumeth had made it appeared like a foregone conclusion on the Chart Thai dissolution.

"I have been in politics for more than 30 years and I am certain the litigation remains a long way to go before completion," he said.

It is am injustice to dissolve his party inspite of clear evidence confirming the party's innocence.

At every meeting and campaign rally, the party opposed cheating and even demanded its executives to sign a pledge to abide by electoral rules, he said.

"In my long experience, I thought I have seen it all, including a heavy downpour, meaning rampart votebuying, but I don't know who I am fighting in this legal battle on party dissolution," he said.

Banharn said he was reluctant to admit a conspiracy theory although he heard that his joining with the People Powerled coalition might lead to his party's demise.

He said the country would plunge into a deep turmoil if coalition parties were to be disbanded one after another in order to leave the opposition Democrat Party as the sole survivor in the political system.

"I also don't see a snap election to escape party dissolution as a solution," he said, adding that in his opinion, the only way for the country to advance forward is to allow the government to complete its fouryear term.

His comments were part of a speech in the party convention held at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.

Key party figures showed up in full force. Cabinet members under the party quotas outlined their mission statements on what they plan to accomplish through the coalition government.

Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said he and Chart Thai ministers would do their utmost to implement party policies.

Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissananthakul pledged to tackle the problem of the rising cost of fertiliser. Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said he envisioned the community to have a greater role in the development the tourist industry and the sports affairs.