Thaksin extends hand to opposition
By ThaiDay
Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visibly softened his position today, offering to go and meet opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva either at the latter’s residence or the Democrat party’s headquarters to negotiate a solution to the current political crisis.
Thaksin’s suddenly reconciliatory stance starkly contrasts his firm position of yesterday when he dismissed the opposition alliance’s proposal to sign a joint declaration on political reforms among the leaders of the four parties which had representatives in the dissolved House.
Instead of going along with the opposition’s proposal, Thaksin went ahead and met with the leaders of several small parties to try to strike another deal whereby they would commit to constitutional amendments to be passed by the new post-election Parliament.
The caretaker prime minister’s sudden change of heart today came after the three opposition parties announced their decision late yesterday to boycott the election, which heightened overall political tensions.
“Just tell me what to do today and I’ll be happy to do it. If Khun Abhisit (the Democrat leader) wanted it, I can go to see him at his residence or at his party headquarters,” Thaksin told reporters this afternoon.
There was no immediate reaction from the Democrat leadership.
Thaksin has also agreed to sign a joint declaration with the opposition leaders on political reforms, although his Thai Rak Thai party plans to go about implementing the reforms are different from those advocated by the opposition.
Aside from his preparedness to sign the joint declaration on political reforms, Thaksin has also agreed to an extended timeframe beyond the scheduled snap election on April 2 in order to allow the opposition parties more time to prepare for the poll.
Under the Constitution, new elections must be held within 60 days after the dissolution of Parliament.
This latest concession by TRT, however, was quickly shot down by the Chart Thai Party, one of the three opposition parties, which claimed that the political situation has gone beyond the point of discussing an extended election date.
By ThaiDay
Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visibly softened his position today, offering to go and meet opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva either at the latter’s residence or the Democrat party’s headquarters to negotiate a solution to the current political crisis.
Thaksin’s suddenly reconciliatory stance starkly contrasts his firm position of yesterday when he dismissed the opposition alliance’s proposal to sign a joint declaration on political reforms among the leaders of the four parties which had representatives in the dissolved House.
Instead of going along with the opposition’s proposal, Thaksin went ahead and met with the leaders of several small parties to try to strike another deal whereby they would commit to constitutional amendments to be passed by the new post-election Parliament.
The caretaker prime minister’s sudden change of heart today came after the three opposition parties announced their decision late yesterday to boycott the election, which heightened overall political tensions.
“Just tell me what to do today and I’ll be happy to do it. If Khun Abhisit (the Democrat leader) wanted it, I can go to see him at his residence or at his party headquarters,” Thaksin told reporters this afternoon.
There was no immediate reaction from the Democrat leadership.
Thaksin has also agreed to sign a joint declaration with the opposition leaders on political reforms, although his Thai Rak Thai party plans to go about implementing the reforms are different from those advocated by the opposition.
Aside from his preparedness to sign the joint declaration on political reforms, Thaksin has also agreed to an extended timeframe beyond the scheduled snap election on April 2 in order to allow the opposition parties more time to prepare for the poll.
Under the Constitution, new elections must be held within 60 days after the dissolution of Parliament.
This latest concession by TRT, however, was quickly shot down by the Chart Thai Party, one of the three opposition parties, which claimed that the political situation has gone beyond the point of discussing an extended election date.
