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BANGKOK: Thailand's revered king has called on the country's top judges to act for the good of the nation, as they decide the fates of the two main political parties next Wednesday.
Thailand's Thai Rak Thai and Democrat Parties face uncertain futures, with the Constitutional Court ruling next week on whether they should be dissolved.
Security will be tightened in the capital Bangkok as the authorities brace themselves for potential violence from protestors.
In a public broadcast, the Thai King urged his top judges to make a clear and fair legal ruling on the kingdom's two main political parties.
"You have the responsibility to prevent the country from collapsing. You're the people who know what the right direction is. You can educate other people. You can do it. Tell them because you're knowledgeable people," said King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The king predicted disturbances ahead, even though leaders of the two parties have urged their supporters to show restraint.
"Whatever the verdict turns out to be, there'll be damage to the country. Whatever direction is taken, it will cause worry."
The king's warning of chaos ahead comes as a rare political comment form the monarch, who generally stays out of such matters, at least in the public's view.
His statement underscores the importance of the verdict to the nation's political future.
His was a message not only to the judges to do the right thing, but also to the Thai people to maintain calm in the face of uncharted political waters."
Thai Rak Thai and the Democrat Party have been charged with violating election laws last year.
If found guilty, they could be dissolved and their leaders barred from politics for five years, paving the way for veteran politicians approved by the military government to contest elections due later this year.
"People will be scared (if the parties are dissolved) because they won't know who to believe. At this point, I don't see any leader whom I can trust. I see only the military. The military can rule through fear but it'll never win public respect," says one Thai.
"The situation is unpredictable. I think dissolving parties is tantamount to dissolving democracy. It stops the people's political opinions from being heard, and that's the basic right of citizens," says another.
If the judges rule that both parties are innocent, it could usher in a spirit of reconciliation.
But analysts feel such a verdict would cast doubt on the legal process and undermine the military's justification for the coup.
Yet another possibility - banning individual party members, but this, political observers say, would leave a gaping hole in the kingdom's political infrastructure. - CNA/yy
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