General Sonthi Boonyaratglin yesterday pointed to the likelihood of the Thai Rak Thai Party being dissolved, saying it was in disarray from its former MPs looking for new parties.

He said politicians under the Thai Rak Thai banner were demoralised in light of the possible party dissolution and that political normalcy should resume once they could adopt a new party's banner.

"Many things are going to happen, including political-party dissolution. I believe people in the Thai Rak Thai Party are in disarray because support for it is waning. Also importantly, politicians who don't stick to individuals are finding new places to go," Sonthi said.

The general, who heads the Council for National Security, was speaking at a student forum at the Hat Yai campus of Prince of Songkhla University.

The Constitution Tribunal is hearing electoral-fraud cases against Thai Rak Thai, the Democrats and three smaller parties. The hearings are expected to end in April.

Meanwhile, Thai Rak Thai deputy leader Suwat Liptapanlop and his faction will resign from the party this week, Suwat's younger brother, former MP Tewan Liptapanlop, said yesterday.

Tewan said members of the faction had discussed their future and agreed to leave the former ruling party, which faces possible dissolution over electoral-fraud charges. About 20 faction members had already signed a resignation letter, he said.

Tewan cited the unclear political situation and the fact that the new constitution had yet to be completed as reasons behind the faction's move. He said it also wanted to show the junta it was distinct from the Thai Rak Thai.

Tewan denied that the faction had agreed to form a new party with Pinij Charusombat's group.

"It's a matter the two groups have to discuss," he said.

However, another faction member said Suwat and Pinij would form a party this week. Their new party would vie for seats in the Northeast with Somsak Thepsuthin, who led his Wang Nam Yom faction out of the Thai Rak Thai Party last year, renamed it the Matchima group, and on Monday opened a new headquarters for it.

General Sonthi yesterday said soldiers had fanned out across the country to help villagers wean themselves off their dependency on government hand-outs instead of holding onto the legacy of the previous administration.

"Soldiers and villagers are working together to build a new life, one in which they can stand on their own with their professional skills rather than depend on welfare," said the coup leader.

Sonthi criticised ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra for the negative impact of his populist policies, such as future generations of Thais still having to sort out the debt-ridden economy.

Turning to the political situation, he said volatility should dissipate in the next three or four months after the uprooting of Thaksin's tentacles of power.

"Existing frictions are due to the fact that ousted politicians and certain vested interests are trying to fight for survival and even hoping to regain power as authorities make progress in wiping out Thaksin's legacy," he said.

He voiced optimism the new constitution could usher a better political system, including a practical solution to the problem of vote-buying.

Commenting on the southern violence, he said rising public sentiment for patriotism as stirred up by the film "The Legend of King Naresuan" was an encouraging sign for a unified nation.

In addressing remnants of the ousted government, he said the political situation would be normalised in less than one month if everyone put the nation before an individual leader.

"Even I was labelled as ungrateful [by Thaksin], even though I am obliged to serve the country and not a regime," he said.

Sonthi was appointed Army commander-in-chief while Thaksin was prime minister. The ex-PM mentioned the fact after he was overthrown in the September 19 coup.

Sonthi yesterday said certain police officers remained loyal to the ousted premier, alluding to Thaksin's strong ties with the police.

The Nation