Quote:NLA members consider proposing bill to grant amnesty to 'clearly innocent' Thai Rak Thai executives

By Post reporters

Prominent members of the National Legislative Assembly will push for an amnesty bill to return electoral rights to some executives of the Thai Rak Thai party and other small parties convicted of breaching election laws. Surapol Nittikraipoj, who is also Thammasat University rector, said the amnesty proposal, which will exclude party leaders and other key party members who were directly involved in electoral fraud, is meant to cool down political tensions and bring about reconciliation among the public.

Mr Surapol said the proposed amnesty aims to exonerate banned party executives who were obviously not involved in electoral fraud.

Thai Rak Thai and three lesser-known parties were convicted of electoral fraud during the April 2 polls in 2006 and were ordered dissolved by the Constitution Tribunal on May 30.

All executives of the disbanded parties were also banned from voting and seeking re-election for five years.

Mr Surapol argued that if an amnesty can be granted to military leaders who stage a coup and illegally seize control of government power, this principle should be applicable to parties dissolved for breaking election laws by the Constitution Tribunal.

''I propose the idea [of amnesty], so I am ready to receive a scolding for it. I believe it could be a way out of the crisis,'' he said.

Mr Surapol said he was talking to other NLA members about the most appropriate time to propose the amnesty bill to the NLA.

He needs to collect the signatures of at least 25 NLA members to support the motion to table the bill to the law-making body.

He noted, however, it would not be appropriate for the government and the Council for National Security to float the amnesty idea.

The amnesty bill should be proposed and given a good airing by the NLA members, who would decide by majority vote whether to enact it into law, he said.

Mr Surapol believed the amnesty could provide a way out of the ongoing political crisis and he was ready to take any criticism.

Voicing support for Mr Surapol's idea are civic leaders Jon Ungphakorn and Somchai Homla-or.

Mr Jon said many people have sympathised with the banned politicians and that may set conditions for the return of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as a hero.

He said he did not agree with the freezing of Mr Thaksin's assets as well as the attempt to censor information as that would heighten pity for the ousted leader.

Mr Jon, who was former Bangkok senator, said early elections may heal the rifts in society while certain political conditions must be met, including lifting the electoral ban which he said must be made for all Thai Rak Thai members. This is to allow people to ''judge'' those politicians when they cast their vote, he said.

Mr Somchai, however, said lifting the ban must be limited to those who are deemed innocent.

A group of former Thai Rak Thai MPs in the northern provinces plans to file a petition to His Majesty the King over the dissolution of the party and the five-year ban on its 111 executive members.

The group, led by Surapong Towijakchaikul and Julaphan Amornwiwat, will launch a campaign in Chiang Mai to gather signatures in support of the petition.

The move is seen as an attempt to resurrect the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party and clear the names of the banned executives.

Mr Surapong is a leader of the Network of People Power for Thailand and a member of the Thai Rak Thai group. Mr Julaphan was former Thai Rak Thai MP for Chiang Mai.

In their petition, they cite a difference of opinion among the Constitution Tribunal judges who were divided over the coup makers' announcement No. 27. They said a minority of three judges disagreed with the retroactive effect of the announcement which imposes the five-year ban on the 111 executives of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai.

Surichai Wungaeo, lecturer of Chulalongkorn University and an NLA member, said the current political situation had divided people into camps and if this trend continues, they might miss an opportunity to help create good governance.

''We will be in trouble if we can think only of who will be our next leader. This should be the time for us all to help one another lay good political foundations,'' he said.

Mr Surichai joined Mr Jon and veteran lawyer Mr Somchai at a seminar on Violence in Thai Politics and the Best Way Out, organised by the Thai Journalists Association yesterday.