Lifting of political ban still not appropriate in current circumstances: NCPO sec-gen
After considering the overall situation, and not just the recent discovery of war weapons, it was not deemed appropriate to lift the ban on political activities, the secretary-general of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) said on Monday.
General Chalermchai Sitthisat, who is also the Army chief, said that if political parties were adversely affected in any way by the continuation of the ban, remedial measures would be taken.
When considering removing the restriction, the NCPO looked at the overall picture, taking into account all the elements and not solely the discovery of the weapons, he stressed.
It considered the country’s laws as well as other situations and movements too, the general added.
Overall, it was not considered appropriate to allow a loosening of political movement, the NCPO secretary-general concluded, reasoning that taking such a step at this stage could bring about other problems.
However, the NCPO meets every Tuesday to assess the situation, Chalermchai said.
Asked if he would like to send any message to politicians who were looking forward to the lifting of the political ban, he replied that he understood how they felt.
Politics is about dealing with different opinions for the better, but if differences turned into conflict, the security sector needed to draw a line to contain the conflict in order to avoid damage to the country, he explained.
“So, unless we have confidence [in the overall situation], we won’t let go [of the ban],” the secretary-general said. “But we have the same goal, which is the [national] election.”