"People's Power party (PPP) secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee insisted Saturday the party will seek amnesty for 111 former Thai Rak Thai executives who were banned from politics for five years from electoral fraud charges if the party wins upcoming election.
Mr Surapong claimed many people agree with the idea but no one dares to say it out loud.
His stance echoed that of the party leader Samak Sundaravej who said earlier this month that an amnesty will be granted to all 111 Thai Rak Thai executives if he becomes prime minister.
He also commented that he does not believe the real allies have been built after several parties announced they have joined hands with each other in the upcoming election.
Early this week, the Democrat, Chart Thai and Mahachon parties announced their political cooperation."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=121678
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It's Official: PPP wants amnesty for Thaksin
Started by Garcia, Sep 15 2007 05:46 PM
1 reply to this topic
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Posted 16 September 2007 - 10:45 AM
QUOTE
His stance echoed that of the party leader Samak Sundaravej who said earlier this month that an amnesty will be granted to all 111 Thai Rak Thai executives if he becomes prime minister.
If and when such an amnesty were granted, it would be only a matter of time before Thaksin would become, not only the chief power broker in the new Parliament, but the next Prime Minister after the next round of snap elections, if he chooses to run - and risk yet another coup - or a worse fate. One thing is certain: PPP is trying to make the Democrats appear much too too cozy with the coup's elite sponsors, banking that many voters will see that as a real negative at the polls.
TRT (PPP) is betting that it can put together a coalition government based on the unpopularity of the coup and the elite elements it represents. Such a coalition could have enough muscle to repeal all the laws passed by the junta's hand-picked NLA, and even seek to restore the "only true Thai Constitition" from 1997. Were that to happen, the immunity from prosecution for the coup, which is contained in the 2002 Constitution, would presumably vanish, exposing the coup sponsors and leaders to the possibility of facing criminal charges for sedition or treason.
In effect, the coup would have been for nothing - or worse - or just the first of many more to follow. One gets a real sense of deja vu in this scenario, political windmills that never seem to stop spinning, but going nowhere.
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