Thailand lifts emergency
Thai crisis: (Above) Anti-government protesters dancing during demonstration at Government House in Bangkok yesterday. (Right) Thailand's acting prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, announcing the decision to lift emergency at Thai Royal Armed Force headquarters in Bangkok, yesterday.Picture: AFP
Monday, September 15, 2008
THAILAND'S acting prime minister lifted the state of emergency in Bangkok yesterday as the ruling party met to choose a new candidate for premier, but the nation's political turmoil looks set to drag on. Somchai Wongsawat said tensions had eased in Bangkok since the emergency was imposed two weeks ago after pro- and anti-government protesters clashed in violence that left one person dead and dozens injured.
"We have analysed that the situation is less serious and if we still maintain the state of emergency, it might damage the country," acting premier Somchai said after meeting the country's army chief and other officials.
Thousands of protesters have besieged the grounds of Government House in the capital since last month to try to force the resignation of then prime minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet.
Instead the Constitutional Court stripped Samak of his powers last week, ruling he had illegally accepted payments for hosting TV cooking shows.
Samak ended his bid on Friday to return to power as prime minister after a revolt within the ruling party torpedoed his re-election in parliament.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and its coalition partners now plan to nominate a new candidate ahead of a vote in parliament on Wednesday by lawmakers for a prime minister.
The PPP was holding meetings about the nomination with its five coalition parties yesterday, said Sompong Amornviwat, deputy leader of the PPP and one of the candidates for prime minister.
Two other candidates are co-deputy PPP leader Somchai Wongsawat and secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee.
Somchai said two coalition partners, the Puea Pandin and Pracharaj parties, had agreed to support whoever the PPP chose as candidate.
"The parties said it is the PPP's right to nominate the candidate for the prime minister position," he told reporters after yesterday afternoon meeting with the parties.
Puea Pandin leader Suvit Khunkitti said he was certain the ruling party would choose a suitable candidate.
"I'm confident problems, which include the conflict (with protesters), will be solved and the country will move on," Suvit told reporters.
Any of the three candidates would face an uphill task to resolve Thailand's political upheaval, with demonstrators still squatting outside Government House, declaring they will stay as long as the PPP remains in charge.
"We don't accept those three. This government has damaged the country too much," Chamlong Srimuang, one of the protest leaders, told reporters yesterday.
The demonstrators, representing Thailand's traditional elite, claim that Samak and the three candidates to replace him are proxies for ousted premier and billionaire businessman Thaksin Shinawatra.
The protest group, which calls itself the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), also spearheaded protests against Thaksin in 2006, leading to the military coup that toppled him.
The protesters have already vowed to rally for the ouster of any prime minister drawn from the ranks of the PPP.AFP
"We have analysed that the situation is less serious and if we still maintain the state of emergency, it might damage the country," acting premier Somchai said after meeting the country's army chief and other officials.
Thousands of protesters have besieged the grounds of Government House in the capital since last month to try to force the resignation of then prime minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet.
Instead the Constitutional Court stripped Samak of his powers last week, ruling he had illegally accepted payments for hosting TV cooking shows.
Samak ended his bid on Friday to return to power as prime minister after a revolt within the ruling party torpedoed his re-election in parliament.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and its coalition partners now plan to nominate a new candidate ahead of a vote in parliament on Wednesday by lawmakers for a prime minister.
The PPP was holding meetings about the nomination with its five coalition parties yesterday, said Sompong Amornviwat, deputy leader of the PPP and one of the candidates for prime minister.
Two other candidates are co-deputy PPP leader Somchai Wongsawat and secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee.
Somchai said two coalition partners, the Puea Pandin and Pracharaj parties, had agreed to support whoever the PPP chose as candidate.
"The parties said it is the PPP's right to nominate the candidate for the prime minister position," he told reporters after yesterday afternoon meeting with the parties.
Puea Pandin leader Suvit Khunkitti said he was certain the ruling party would choose a suitable candidate.
"I'm confident problems, which include the conflict (with protesters), will be solved and the country will move on," Suvit told reporters.
Any of the three candidates would face an uphill task to resolve Thailand's political upheaval, with demonstrators still squatting outside Government House, declaring they will stay as long as the PPP remains in charge.
"We don't accept those three. This government has damaged the country too much," Chamlong Srimuang, one of the protest leaders, told reporters yesterday.
The demonstrators, representing Thailand's traditional elite, claim that Samak and the three candidates to replace him are proxies for ousted premier and billionaire businessman Thaksin Shinawatra.
The protest group, which calls itself the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), also spearheaded protests against Thaksin in 2006, leading to the military coup that toppled him.
The protesters have already vowed to rally for the ouster of any prime minister drawn from the ranks of the PPP.AFP
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