Thai PM To Dissolve Government Within Seven Months With Cooperation Of Red Shirt Protestors

(CAAI News Media)

BANGKOK, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday stated he is prepared to dissolve the House of Representatives within seven months, on condition that the opposition party and anti-government Red Shirt cooperates with the government, the Thailand news agency (TNA) reported.

Abhisit said that the opposition party should cooperate on amending the Constitution while the 'Red Shirt' activists and ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra should stop their violent campaign against his current.

Abhisit made this comment after the convicted ex-premier reportedly set conditions for entering talks with the Democrat-led coalition government to end the nation's years-long conflict if the 1997 Constitution is brought back and the government dissolves the lower house of Parliament and calls a general election.

Commenting further, Abhisit who remains adamant, said that Thaksin should return to Thailand to serve his jail term first before any negotiation can take place.

The former telecom tycoon-turned-prime minister was sentenced to two years in prison in October 2008 for abusing his position to help his then wife secure a plot of land in the capital at a below-market price.

When asked how long it will take for the House dissolution, the prime minister said if the opposition returns to the tripartite whips panel for the constitutional amendment process, it will take not more than six or seven months to work out the issue.

The tripartite meeting included representatives of the government, the Senate and the Opposition, but the Opposition Whip announced his withdrawal from the whips meeting as it opposed six key amendment points recommended by the Parliamentary Committee on Reconciliation and Constitutional Amendments.

"During the six-to-seven month period, if Thaksin and his supporters prove that they will not cause violence nor disrupt the government's administration, I am willing to dissolve the House," Abhisit said.

The premier reiterated that the condition of House dissolution is not up to him, but to the Opposition and Red Shirt supporters of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD).

Abhisit added that the constitution amendment and dissolving the House are not favourable options either for the Democrat Party or the coalition government, but the government opted to take these approaches as it listens to public opinion.

Some suggestions from the public seem quite applicable, he said.