Democrat, PAD call for withdrawal of 'whitewash' bills

The opposition party and the PAD reiterated Thursday that it was enough for the coalition to just postpone the deliberation of the reconciliation bills, which have been deemed by their opponents as attempts to whitewash the legal cases being faced by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
On Wednesday, the majority of the MPs – 272 – voted in support of first putting up the other 10 bills. The consideration proceedings will start next Wednesday.
Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong said House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranon, the Pheu Thai Party and other coalition partners should withdraw the four bills right away. Thepthai asked what the coalition would do next after the deliberation of the 10 bills was completed.
On Thursday, the PAD held a press conference to demand the withdrawal of the four bills from the House.
PAD spokesman Parnthep Puapongphan said the deliberation of the 10 bills before the reconciliation bills was only an effort to buy time, not a real solution to the problem.
But the PAD has cancelled its plan to hold a rally next Wednesday now that it was clear that the House would not deliberate the four unity bills, Parnthep said, adding that the PAD would take to streets immediately if the bills came up for deliberation.