In the latest act of this bizarre political drama, Thailand's constitutional court ruled Tuesday to disband three of the country's governing political parties for electoral fraud.
The verdict forced the dissolution of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's Palang Prachachon Party (PPP) or People's Power Party. Somchai, brother in law of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and 59 other MPs have been banned from politics for five years.
The decision was heralded as a 'victory' by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). On hearing the news, many of yellow-clad demonstrators occupying Suvarnabhumi International Airport broke down in tears.
In a surreal example of the disconnect between the PAD's single-minded commitment to its goals and the massive economic damage inflicted by its airport shutdowns, one of its leaders climbed onto stage and asked demonstrators to "please make sure you don't damage the airport facilities." And this while the nation's economy lay in smoking ruins all around.
As images of the PAD dismantling their barricades flashed across the nation's television screens millions of Thais breathed a sigh of relief.
If many are relieved to have a break from the relentless haranguing of the PAD, few doubt that this is little more than an interlude.
The timing of the courts' decision, just three days before the King's birthday, left almost no space for pro-government supporters to vent their frustration at a verdict many see as highly politicised.
Members of the disbanded parties have been busy forming new parties with new names. If they can muster enough seats, which is not yet clear, the current ruling coalition has every intention of forming a new government and naming a new Prime Minister from its ranks. A parliamentary session to vote on the appointment of a new Prime Minister could take place as early as next week.
If a new Prime Minister is appointed from the ranks of the existing ruling coalition, complete with its renamed parties, few doubt that the the PAD will object and that its yellow-clad army will once again be marching in the streets of Bangkok.
In this scenario the country will remain unstable. The dynamics of the crisis, and the polarisation it has engendered, will remain unaltered.
Pro government supporters now often referred to as the 'red shirts' have, till now, stayed clear of direct confrontation with the 'yellow shirts' of the PAD (barring one violent incident in September). But with public anger at the economic damage wrought by the PAD's airport occupations running high, the potential for violent clashes between these two groups is very real.
At a time when Thais are bereft of a unifying leader able to navigate through this crisis, a great deal of attention will be paid to the King's birthday speech tomorrow in which he traditionally delivers advice to the nation's leaders. His stature and the respect he inspires appears to be the only force capable of, temporarily at least, putting the lid on the explosive tensions threatening this nation's future.
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