Dissolved Thai ruling party reforms under new name
« Thread Started on Dec 3, 2008, 7:28am »

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Dissolved Thai ruling party reforms under new name
Posted: 05:35 AM ET
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) — Lawmakers with Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat’s ruling People Power Party reformed under a new name Wednesday in a move that will allow them to retain their grip on power.

The tactic is sure to rile up anti-government protesters who called off their months-long protests — and their siege of Bangkok’s main airport — following the Constitutional Court’s ruling Tuesday to dissolve the PPP.

The court found the PPP guilty of committing electoral fraud during the race that brought them to power a year ago. It barred Somchai and other top party officials from holding public office for five years.

But the ruling does not apply to members who are not party executives. They are free to retain their status as lawmakers if they can find a new party to accept them within 60 days.

And so, those parliamentarians undertook a mass exodus Wednesday to the Puea Thai party — created by PPP supporters in September when it became apparent that the court could rule against them.

Even without the top officials of the PPP, the Puea Thai will still have the highest number of parliamentarians to retain its ruling status.