Deputy Prime Minister Kachornprasat Sanan of Thailand

Sanan is banned from running for political office for five years.

Although Sanan was Chuan's interior minister and chief electoral strategist, Sondhi claimed that Chuan was motivated by a desire to undermine Sanan's faction in the party.

Secondly, the fact that Sanan had to resign is highly significant.

Sanan is not alone - and indeed while the New Exasperation Party and Thai Rak Thai will of course seek to make political capital out of it today as a programmed reflex, more sober minds (are there any in the NAP?) may well be playing their cards close to their chest.

This is a most welcome development - and not just to opposition members of parliament who in a December 1999 censure debate had first alleged that Sanan had misreported his assets and liabilities to the Counter Corruption Commission after taking office in the fall of 1997, but had seen their allegations dismissed as ''politics'' designed to smear a powerful foe.