BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's military-backed government, a U.S. non-NATO ally, faces possible collapse because of two corruption cases, but the army is trying to install a hawkish commander while Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva remains in power.
Mr. Abhisit, who took office in December 2008, hopes he and his Democrat Party will escape termination if found guilty by Thailand's powerful Constitutional Court, which received the corruption cases from aggressive prosecutors in the Office of the Attorney-General.
"We will respect, and follow, the decision of the court," the soft-spoken prime minister said.
His Democrat Party allegedly received illegal donations worth more than eight million US dollars in 2005 from a major cement corporation, TPI Polene.
In a second case, the Democrat Party allegedly misused a grant worth about 900,000 US dollars from the Election Commission's political development fund.
Illegal donations, and the misuse of the commission's money, violate the Political Party Act.