BANGKOK - Thailand`s military suspended the constitution around the country and imposed martial law in Bangkok, a spokesman for the coup leaders said Tuesday.
"In order to maintain law and order, the Council for Political Reform has declared, first, that the Constitution of 1997 has been terminated," Major General Prapas Sakuntanak said on national television.
"Second, the parliament -- both the House of Representatives and the Senate -- as well as the cabinet, have been terminated along with the Constitutional Court.
"All other courts except the Constitutional Court still have their jurisdiction and can continue to function," he added.
The military also imposed martial law on the capital, revoking an emergency decree ordered by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and ordered all soldiers to report to their commanders.
"The Council for Political Reform declares martial law and revokes emergency rule in the Bangkok metropolitan area as of 9:05 pm (1605 GMT) on September 19," he said.
Thaksin had declared emergency rule in Bangkok just hours earlier from New York, where he was attending the UN General Assembly.
09/19/2006 18:10 GMT