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2ND LD: Thai king appeals to court to solve political crisis+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)BANGKOK, April 25_(Kyodo) _ (EDS: UPDATING) Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Tuesday criticized this month's general election boycotted by the opposition as "undemocratic" and urged the country's top judges to resolve the impending constitutional crisis. "It is impossible to have democratic elections with only one party, one candidate. It is undemocratic," the king told an audience of newly sworn-in judges of the Supreme Administrative Court at his seaside palace in Hua Hin. At the meeting, which was televised nationwide, the king also raised the possibility of nullifying the result of the inconclusive election. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra dissolved the country's 500-member House of Representatives on Feb. 24 for a snap election on April 2. Major opposition parties boycotted the election, requiring by-elections to fill vacant seats in parliament, which cannot meet to elect a new prime minister until the seats are filled. It is widely feared that Thailand will face a constitutional gridlock if a new lower house cannot not be convened within 30 days of the election. "Without the House of Representatives, there is no way to rule by democracy," said the influential king. Referring to calls for him to intervene by appointing a new premier, the king said such royal intervention would be unconstitutional and undemocratic. The king said he had never performed any duty beyond those outlined in the Constitution and would not do so. In another audience he had with newly sworn in judges of the Supreme Court, the king said the judicial system was the only democratic pillar currently functioning in the nation and therefore should do its utmost to solve the current crisis. "If there will be no full House (of Representatives), it will not be democratic. Therefore, please consult with other courts about how we could revive democracy," the king said. He added that the country would be a mess if the House of Representatives were to be opened with fewer than the full quorum of 500 MPs required by the Constitution. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] |