The People Power Party (PPP), which swept into power in December elections, said it wanted to strip the election commission of its power to seek the dissolution of political parties.

The commission used that power to disband the Thai Rak Thai party of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006.

His allies, led by the current Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, now face a similar fate.

Two of the PPP's coalition partners are before the Supreme Court over vote fraud charges, which could lead the judges to dissolve the parties.

The PPP could eventually find itself in a similar legal tangle after one of the party's top officials, the speaker of parliament Yongyut Tiyapairat, was brought before the court on election violations last week.

'If these three parties were dissolved, it would be like killing Thailand.'

'It would not just damage the party executives, it would cause tremendous damage to Thailand,' PPP spokesman Kudep Saikrajang told reporters.

'The People Power Party believes that the current constitution has caused another political crisis which will place the country in a political deadlock,' Mr Kudep said after a general meeting of the party.

The prime minister had earlier indicated he would only seek to amend the constitution after two years.

Mr Kudep insisted that the PPP would not insert into the constitution an amnesty for Mr Thaksin and his top lieutenants.

But the spokesman said the party may try to amend other parts of the constitution in addition to limiting the powers of the election commission.

Mr Samak has previously criticised the military's decision to allow a special panel to appoint nearly half the seats in the Senate.

The party had decided to seek amendments now because the threats hanging over the ruling coalition were eroding investor confidence in Thailand, Mr Kudep said.

'Thailand has run into a political crisis which is eroding international confidence,' he added.

Amending the constitution requires only a simple majority of both the House and the Senate in three readings. The PPP's six-party coalition controls 315 seats out of 480 in the lower house.

Senators are not allowed party affiliations, but 74 of 150 seats were appointed by a committee set up the military. -- AFP