UDD renews bitter govt battle

[Flashermac]

Bangkok Post

31 Mar 2010

 

 

Huge rally called after talks fail to end House

 

 

The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship is stepping up the pressure on the government to dissolve the House within 15 days.

 

The decision comes as negotiations between the red shirt leaders and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ground to a halt on Monday.

 

[color:red]Today, the UDD will organise 5,000 red shirts on motorcycles to drive around the capital before they head to the Election Commission headquarters on Chang Wattana Road.[/color] :content:

 

The protest at the EC office is aimed at pressuring the commissioners to speed up an investigation into the Democrat Party allegedly obtaining a 258 million baht donation improperly from TPI Polene, UDD co-leader Veera Musikhapong said.

 

On Saturday, the UDD says it will hold another rally, which they say is intended to be a peaceful, mass demonstration.

 

"It will be the biggest red shirt rally and we will intensify our battle. But be assured that we will stick to non-violence," said Jatuporn Prompan, another UDD leader.

 

[color:red]Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday urged his supporters to join Saturday's demonstration via a video-link from Russia.[/color]

 

He also urged more Bangkokians to take part and called on politicians serving bans for electoral fraud when they were with the now defunct Thai Rak Thai and People Power parties to come out and join other UDD leaders on stage to attack the government.

 

The UDD strategy was decided on after no progress was made in a second round of negotiations between three government negotiators led by Mr Abhisit and the three-man UDD team led by Mr Veera on Monday.

 

As the two rounds of talks ended in stalemate, there is no guarantee that another meeting will take place after the prime minister returns to Bangkok from a visit to Bahrain today.

 

[color:red]The UDD issued a statement yesterday condemning the prime minister for not agreeing to its demands.[/color] :onfire:

 

"Mr Abhisit's rejection of complying with the red shirts' proposal [that he dissolve the House within 15 days] shows that he has no intention to mend the rifts in society," the statement said.

 

[color:blue]"We are disappointed with Mr Abhisit's refusal to comply with our demand," said Mr Veera.[/color] "And the prime minister must be prepared for the consequences of his decision."

 

Mr Jatuporn, however, yesterday declared the negotiations had ended. He also said there would be no behind-closed-door talks either because the government's position and the UDD's stance were too different for any deal to be struck.

 

During the talks on Sunday and Monday, Mr Veera showed more signs of compromising with the government than his two partners, Mr Jatuporn and Weng Tojirakarn.

 

But Mr Veera yesterday told Thaksin supporters not to be worried about unity within the rank and file of the red shirts. The UDD leaders were still united and decisions on the next move have been agreed upon by all of them.

 

But Kwanchai Praipana, a UDD leader in Udon Thani, was angry that the UDD strategy had so far failed to pressure the government to dissolve the House.

 

Mr Kwanchai said the UDD had a chance to win the battle last Sunday when they rallied outside the 11th Infantry Regiment, but the UDD leaders did not seize the opportunity.

 

"The UDD leaders wanted to negotiate so we failed. What the red shirts got from two rounds of negotiations is five hours on free television. There is nothing substantive. There is no [House] dissolution. I can say that we're going home empty handed," he said.

 

Chamni Sakdiset, one of the three negotiators in the government camp, reaffirmed yesterday the government was still open to more talks.

 

[color:red]The government is mulling whether to try to get cooperation from civil groups and some moderate UDD members to find a solution to the impasse.[/color]

 

Panitan Wattanayagorn, the PM's deputy secretary-general, said the government will bring the matter up with civil groups to discuss with Korbsak Sabhavasu, the PM's secretary-general, who would coordinate with them.

 

 

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