NCPO spurns national unity govt proposal
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PM says he will not head administration of politicians that may not obey his orders
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday rejected a proposal to form a national-unity government, saying his government would adhere to its political road map.
Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, a leading member of the Pheu Thai Party, had proposed setting up a national-unity government giving all members of the political spectrum a chance to join hands to tackle national problems and create reconciliation within the Kingdom.
A source in Pheu Thai said yesterday that the idea did not represent the party, but was Preecha’s own idea.
Prayut said he did not want to be prime minister in a unity government because he expected that no one would obey him.
“Never! I won’t be the prime minister for any politician. I hereby affirm that I won’t,” Prayut said.
“If I am the prime minister for a national-unity government, will I be able to give orders to them? So why should I be their representative?”
Prayut also noted that Pheu Thai had rejected the idea when it was in government.
Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who is widely regarded as second-in-command of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order, said a unity government was not needed because the NCPO was still implementing its political agenda.
“The road map has not been completed yet,” Prawit said.
National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said the interim government set up by the NCPO had a clear-cut road map for carrying out political reforms, so he did not understand why a national-unity government had been proposed.
He added that it would be fine if the next constitution had a clause to allow the establishment of a unity government in times of crisis.
Pornpetch said the so-called “five rivers” – the NCPO, the Cabinet, the NLA, the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) and the National Reform Steering Council (NRSC) – were already trying to bring about unity and reconciliation in the country.
Regarding Pheu Thai’s call for a blanket political amnesty as a condition for creating reconciliation and unity, Pornpetch said such an amnesty would have to be decided by an elected government.
Meanwhile, Seri Suwanphanon, chairman of the NRSC panel on political reform, warned the NCPO not to be tempted by Preecha’s proposal.
Seri said that if the NCPO agreed with the proposal, opponents would use it as a campaign to protest against the junta on the grounds that it intended to remain in power.
CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan declined yesterday to comment on the proposal, saying he did not know the details.
