Thailand’s prime minister was fighting yesterday to keep his floundering peace process alive, seeking the support of his coalition partners for a plan that has so far failed to win over rival protest movements.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s “roadmap,” which envisages dissolving parliament in the second half of September for polls on Nov. 14, aims to end a crippling weeks-long political crisis.
“We have to seek cooperation from everybody to return Thailand to peace,” his deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban, told reporters. “Everybody must avoid violence and help solve the problem.”
But the anti-government Red Shirts are demanding a firmer timeline before ending eight weeks of mass protests that have paralyzed parts of Bangkok and erupted into bouts of violence that left 27 people dead.
The rival pro-establishment Yellow Shirts have condemned the proposal.
“If Abhisit wants to play tricks about the house dissolution announcement date, we will continue fighting. We can stay two, three or four months longer,” Red Shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar said on Thursday. “And how can we be confident that people who are on Abhisit’s side will not oppose his plan later?”
The Red Shirts, who had been campaigning for snap polls to replace a government they say is the tool of Thailand’s elite, are demanding a specific date for the dissolution before dismantling their vast fortified encampment.
The rival elite-backed Yellow Shirts — who had previously backed Abhisit — have rejected the roadmap and election plan and called on Abhisit to resign.
They have also accused the prime minister of holding secret negotiations with representatives of the Red Shirts’ hero — former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a 2006 coup.
“The prime minister has reconciled with terrorists by planning to dissolve the House. It’s extremely bad for the country and the monarchy,” Chamlong Srimuang, a core Yellow Shirts leader, said on Thursday.
The premier was scheduled yesterday to meet with leaders of his fragile coalition to confirm their support for the reconciliation roadmap, and also with a moderate pro-government group, known as the “Multicoloreds.”
“We agree with the five-point roadmap but we disagree with the election date set for Nov. 14, because Abhisit will not be able to solve all the problems before then,” said one of the multicolored leaders, Tul Sithisomwong.
“His decision was made under pressure from protesters. This is setting a bad precedent,” he wrote on his Facebook page which he has used to rally the group.
In a color-coded crisis, Thailand is largely split between the mainly rural poor and urban working class Red Shirts, and the Yellow Shirts, who blockaded Bangkok’s airports in 2008 before a court ruling removed Thaksin’s allies from power.
The Yellow Shirts have so far refrained from holding their own mass rallies during the current standoff but have warned they may act if the government cannot end the Red Shirts’ protest.
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