Chavalit not ready to clarify his amnesty push
Veteran politician Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has postponed his press conference, scheduled for Tuesday, aimed at clarifying his amnesty push for fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
“The timing is not right,” his aide General Pirat Sawamiwat said on Tuesday.
Pirat said Chavalit will meet the press at a later date. He also said he was uncertain if Chavalit would come out of his retirement.
“A long time has passed since Chavalit’s exit from politics but it is possible to becoming active once again if the country needs him,” he said.
On Monday, Chavalit circulated an open letter, billed to be a summary of his stand on the Thaksin amnesty. In the letter, he called for a political solution for the political conflict, reminding all sides that Thaksin’s legal wrangling will complicate the already-complicated situation if settled in courts.
He cited the prime ministerial directive No 66/2523, which brought about the resolution to the Communist insurgency, as a possible model for political amnesty. He also voiced support for the repeal of the Asset Examination Committee work which targetted Thaksin for graft proceedings.
