Thailand's ruling party could face court-ordered abolition and its leader a ban from politics on Monday, in a case that threatens to disrupt the nation's already troubled political landscape.
The Constitutional Court is expected to reach a verdict after hearing closing remarks in a trial on charges of misuse of a 29-million-baht (960,000 dollar) state grant in 2005, said deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban.
The court has the power to disband the Democrat party and hand down five-year political bans for senior figures, including Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Suthep said there was "no contingency plan" in place for a ban as the party was sure that it would win the case.
"The Democrats have been in politics for more than 60 years, everybody is confident," he said.
Thailand's Election Commission (EC) in April called for the Democrats - 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.
The prime minister on Saturday refused to speculate on when the court would reach its decision, but said he would be ready on Monday in case there was a verdict.
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.
Allegations that a Democrat lawmaker met an aide of a Constitutional Court judge ahead of a hearing in October - and was captured doing so on video - were splashed on the front pages of local media.
Three out of the original nine judges have since withdrawn from the case to pursue legal action against the aide, whom they accuse of leaking the video.
This leaves an even number of judges remaining on the case, causing concern about a possible judicial stalemate.
Some observers question whether Abhisit's backers in the military and Bangkok-based elite would allow the Democrats to be toppled.
AFP/de
