Since Bt29m subsidy case against Democrat Party is less complicated than the Bt258m one on donations, hearing is expected to be completed in just a few weeks, making an early ruling by the Constitution Court a distinct possibility, says Abhisit
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday that the Constitution Court verdict on the first case of Democrat Party dissolution could come as early as October.
The case involves a Bt29-million state subsidy that the Election Commission accuses the ruling party of misusing. The court will soon set hearing schedules based on the number of prosecution and defence witnesses.
Since this case is less complicated than the one that was submitted to the Constitution Court on Tuesday, the hearing is expected to be completed in just a few weeks, meaning a verdict could be delivered in October or November, Abhisit told The Nation.
Abhisit and other senior Democrats appeared less anxious about the Bt29-million case than was reported earlier. The party hopes to overturn charges of irregularities in the use of the subsidy to produce election-campaign materials by depicting it as just a case of an incomplete accounting report.
Even if the court rules that the party is guilty and thus has to be dissolved, senior Democrats believe there remains a chance for party executives to escape five-year bans from politics.
Abhisit admitted he could not escape responsibility because he was the one who signed the relevant financial reports, though the campaign materials were ordered and produced before he became party leader.
"What I'm wondering is whether the court can still dissolve our party if it is dissolved for the first case," Abhisit said, half-jokingly. He was quick to add that the two cases involved two different sets of party executives, both of which stand to face five-year political bans.
Abhisit said he expected the verdict in the second case - a Bt258-million "illegal" donation from TPI Polene Plc - to come "four or five months" after the ruling on the first case. However, a Constitution Court judge, Wasant Soipisut, did not dismiss the possibility of the court combining the two cases.
"It will be up to the Constitution Court to decide," Wasant said yesterday.
Democrat Party insiders have admitted that the second case is worrisome, because the money trails are evident. The Democrats, it is believed, will fight this case by distancing the party from the money and insisting that it was only an issue involving individuals.
During his meeting with Nation Group editors on media reform, Abhisit denied reports that the prospect of party dissolution has caused serious rifts among the Democrats.
"I have been party leader for five years and I can't remember a time when the party was more united," he said. "We went through many crises together, like an election boycott, or a coup, and the public never saw Democrats go out attacking one another over crucial moves made by the party."
He acknowledged that if a party-dissolution ruling came after Democrats had registered candidacy for a new election under the current party's banner, "it will be a massacre".
Asked to comment on the possibility of the number of Constitution Court judges being reduced to seven from nine on the judgement day, Abhisit said: "We think nine would be better than seven."
Wasant and Chalermphol Ek-uru are two Constitution Court judges who are withdrawing from the two cases to avoid possible conflicts of interest stemming from connections with the ruling party.
Meanwhile, Jaturon Chaisaeng, former acting leader of the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, warned that the country would "go up in flames" again if the Democrat Party benefited from a "double standard" regarding the party-dissolution case.
"Anything short of outright dissolution, a ban on party executives and revocation of the prime minister's status as head of the government will be deemed a double standard," he said.
"This is not an attempt to put pressure on the Constitution Court. Who am I to be able to do that? I'm just speaking as a man who is very concerned about what could happen" if Democrats are let off the hook.
Jaturon also claimed that police and Department of Special Investigation officials involved in the Democrat cases had been facing political pressure.