One more year of uncertainties

Here are answers to key questions being asked after the EC decided to ask the Constitution Court to disband the two parties on grounds that their executives committed electoral fraud:

1. What's next for Chat Thai and Matchima Thipataya?

Prosecutors have 30 days to decide whether to forward the EC's decision to the Constitution Court. If the prosecutors decide they will not proceed with the case, they and the EC will have another 30 days to sit together and argue. If they remain divided after that, the EC can go ahead and send the case to the Constitution Court by itself.

2. How long will the Constitution Court take?

It's anyone's guess, but it should take at least six months to elaborate the case.

3. What will be the court's ruling?

This crucial question will depends almost totally on who are the nine new judges to be selected to sit in the court.

4. Who will be the nine new judges?

Four are nominees proposed by a selection committee for approval by the Senate. According to initial reports, three of the nominees are hardliners who won't be swayed by government power.

Three are judges from the Supreme Court, which had made key rulings against the former Thaksin government.

Two are judges from the Supreme Administrative Court, which, like the Supreme Court, was not a good friend of the former Thaksin government.

5. What will happen to the People Power Party, whose senior executive Yongyuth Tiyapairat is also accused of poll fraud?

Yongyuth's case is at the Supreme Court now, as it is currently treated as a fraud case involving an individual MP.

But once or if the Supreme Court finds him guilty _ the trial can last up to six months _ the EC will have to decide if it's a collective guilt of PPP executives. If the EC decides that Yongyuth's guilt represents his party's guilt, the same ECprosecutorsConstitution Court process will begin. If the PPP case finally goes to the Constitution Court, it will take probably another six months for a trial.    

6. What happens if the Constitution Court disbands a party?

That party's executives will be banned from politics for five years. The party's MPs, however, can join any legally registered party within 60 days without losing their MP status.