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Stay out of next election, PAD tells Thaksin

By Martin Petty

17 July 2006

The People’s Alliance for Democracy yesterday urged the remaining election commissioners to resign and told caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra not to run in the next election if he is serious about reconciliation.

PAD Spokesman Suriyasai Katasila dismissed Thaksin’s call for national reconciliation to end the political stalemate as a meaningless ploy that people would never accept.

“The new plan is another political stunt, but Thai society has learned many lessons about this government,” Suriyasai said. “Reconciliation can only happen when Thaksin announces his resignation and gives up politics unconditionally.”

Thaksin used his weekly radio address Saturday to call for all parties to reconcile their differences for the sake of His Majesty the King and the health of country’s economy, warning that key trade partners Japan and the United States were becoming disillusioned with Thailand.

He said the government’s response to the proposals by an independent fact-finding commission into the unrest in the southernmost provinces showed its insincerity towards reconciliation.

Faced with mounting criticism for its handling of the southern crisis, the government formed the National Reconciliation Commission in March 2005 to probe the root causes of the violence, but it has since shown no signs of implementing any of the panel’s peace proposals.

“The NRC gave people hope, but eventually it was just a move to redirect political pressure,” Suriyasai said. “The government isn’t pushing forward with any of the NRC’s recommendations.”

Suriyasai also pressed the EC commissioners to resign to help move the country forward. “The problems will be solved and opposition parties can re-enter the electoral process with a new EC,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan rejected claims that Thaksin was using national reconciliation to prolong his political life. “His intention is to have peace for all sides,” she said. “I beg every party to choose the right, lawful and democratic approach to solving the political problems.”

Thai Day
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