Radio Australia:

Thailand’s ambassador to Australia says even if the country’s prime minister were removed from office over allegations of funding irregularities the Democrat Party would continue to rule.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva faced court this week over claims that his party had misused a grant worth almost $US900,000 dollars during the 2005 election.

The Democrat Party could be forced to dissolve and its members banned from politics for up to 5 years if found guilty.

But Ambassador Kriangsak Kittichaisaree has told Radio Australia there would be continuity in government regardless of the ruling.

“The worst scenario would be only the executives of the party who were implicated would be punished.”

“There is still continuity of the current government with many other qualified personnel taking over from the ones who will be punished or disbarred from running for office for a few years, if that actually happens.”

BP: Actually, the story doesn’t quote him stating as directly stating the Democrat Party will continue (in case he was to issue a statement saying his remarks had been misinterpreted), but the interview by Radio Australia does. The key excerpt:

KITTICHAISAREE: Let’s talk about the party first, the Democrat Party is long well established institution. So if the executives of the parties are somehow punished in any way, there are many others who can take over. The worst scenario would be only the executives of the party who were implicated would be punished. But there’s still continuity of the current government with many other qualified personnel of the Democrat Party taking over from the ones who are punished or disbarred from running for office for a few years, if that actually happens. So I would not imagine that there will be any problem.

BP: First, the worse case scenario is not only executives of the party who were implicated would be punished, but it is that every party executive, at the time of the wrong-doing,  regardless of their knowledge or level of involvement in the wrong-doing will also be banned for five years as happened with Thai Rak Thai and PPP.

Second, is it really appropriate for an Ambassador to make such a statement about his own government? Now, to talk about worst case scenarios seems fine or even talking about what may happen (i.e his statement “So if the executives of the parties are somehow punished in any way, there are many others who can take over” seems fine), but he goes further than this and states that there will still be continuity in the current government with those banned being replaced by other members from Democrat party seems to be stating or declaring something as a “fact” when it is not (although then one could interpret his statement as implying it is a pre-determined fact…).