Democrat 'cabinet' vows to fight Thaksin amnesty
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The opposition Democrat Party's "shadow Cabinet" yesterday resolved to oppose any amnesty move that would benefit fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Democrat MP Atthawit Suwanphakdi, in his capacity as the spokesman for the shadow Cabinet, said that the shadow Cabinet also resolved to go against any move by the Pheu Thai-led government to “breach the rule of law and the principle of justice in any form”.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, a key figure in the ruling Pheu Thai Party, had said that the government was planning an amnesty law that would benefit all the parties involved in the political conflict, including Thaksin.
Thaksin, the Pheu Thai patriarch, has lived in exile in Dubai while escaping jail sentence at home in a corruption case.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai MP Korkaew Pikulthong said yesterday that he had submitted an urgent motion for a House of Representatives debate on the proposal to expunge all the legal consequences of the 2006 coup in order to prevent another coup.
The Lower House is scheduled to debate on his motion today, according to Korkaew. He said that his motion was aimed at preventing a coup in the future, adding that he expected Parliament to issue some legislation to prevent another power seizure through military force.
The proposal was made by a small group of law lecturers that calls itself “Niti Rassadon” (Citizens of Law).
Korkaew also said that although his real goal in proposing the motion was to “protect democracy”, there could be other benefits, such as possible amnesty to politicians, including Thaksin. However, he added that the goal was not to whitewash Thaksin’s alleged wrongdoings, but rather to allow a new start of the legal cases against him.
“There should be justice for Thaksin and his family. The legal process must be reliable and society will accept the court trial,” he said.
Opposition Democrat MP Watchara Phetthong yesterday said the fact that the Pheu Thai MP picked up on the proposal by Niti Rassadon pointed to the fact that the group was being used as a political tool and it appeared to work in tandem with the ruling party.
