Thailand’s Constitutional Court today ruled to dissolve the government due to electoral fraud. Chat Chonlaworn, the head of the nine-judge panel, announced that the court had found the People Power Party (PPP), the Machima Thipatai party and the Chart Thai party guilty of vote-buying, and unanimously agreed to disband all three parties.

In addition, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and all top leaders from the three parties are banned from politics for five years. Most of the MPs however should be able to keep their seats under a different party name and form a new coalition government.

Today’s court ruling comes amidst escalating protest and violence in the capital where anti-government supporters have laid siege to the Government House and two of the country’s main airports.