Thai ruling party faces ban verdict Monday

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BANGKOK, Nov 26, 2010 (AFP): Thailand is expected to learn the fate of its ruling Democrats next week in a court verdict that could lead to the party's dissolution, the deputy prime minister said Friday.
The Constitutional Court is due to rule on Monday, Suthep Thuagsuban said, after a trial centred on accusations of misuse of a 29-million-baht (960,000 dollar) state grant in 2005.
Suthep, who is also secretary general of the Democrats, said the party will accept the decision, which could lead to five-year bans for party executives, including Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
"I expect after the closing remarks the judges would hand down the verdict on (November) 29," he told reporters. "Certainly it's acceptable to me whatever the verdict is."
Thailand's Election Commission (EC) in April called for the Democrat Party-the country's oldest party-to be abolished over the accusations, as well as a separate case alleging an undeclared political donation.
The call coincided with the country's worst political violence in decades, which ultimately left more than 90 people dead and almost 1,900 wounded in a series of street clashes between opposition protesters and troops.
The Democrats are accused of paying 23 million baht to advertising firms, despite having permission to spend only 19 million on billboard marketing.
Abhisit, who was the party's deputy leader at the time, appeared as a witness for the defence during the trial, telling the court the election body had been informed about changes in campaign plans.
He has also had to defend the Democrats against accusations that a member of his party had attempted to influence the judiciary in the case.