Somchai sees PM's willingness to talk to Suthep as a good sign
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Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn Friday on Friday said he regards caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's expression of willingness to hold talks with protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban as a good sign.
But he said greater efforts would need to be made in finding a format for the talks that is acceptable to both sides.
Suthep, the secretary-general for the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, has challenged Yingluck to one-on-one talks but Yingluck replied that any such talk must be based on constitutional rules.
Somchai said he believed that there would be efforts to expand the scope of the talks by inviting more people to become involved and discuss a framework for the negotiations.
However, Somchai pointed out that both sides must prove their sincerity for holding talks by telling their supporters to stop using violence.
“They must stop their sides from causing violence but so far there is no such a sign,” Somchai said.
He said he believed that violence was caused by certain groups who did not want to see negotiations.
