Tuesday, 8 September 2009

PAD to oppose charter amendment

Writer: BangkokPost.com
Published: 8/09/2009

The People's Alliance for Democracy on Tuesday reaffirmed its opposition to constitutional amendment and vowed to gather up to 20,000 signatures to back a petition to remove MPs and senators who supported a charter amendment motion.

At a press conference at Kasetsart University, Sondhi Limthongkul, a PAD leader, said he believed the petition with 20,000 signatures seeking removal of the 152 MPs and senators who sponsored the charter amendment motion would be ready for submission by Oct 7, when the PAD would mark the first anniversary of the violent police crackdown on PAD protesters.

On Oct 8 the PAD's political party, New Politics, would hold a meeting to elect a new executive committee.

Pibhop Dhongchai, another PAD leader, said the PAD is firm against any change to the 2007 charter which was designed to deal with corrupt politicians. He demanded that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declare a firm stance against constitutional amendments.

Somsak Kosaisuk, also a core PAD leader, said the amendment motion submitted by the parliament members was clearly for self-interest. PAD protesters would be ready to turn out in force against it, he added.

On the National Anti-Corruption Commission's findings against former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, former deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwon, and former metropolitan police chief Suchart Muankaew, Mr Sondhi said he wanted Mr Abhisit to have the courage to take action against Pol Gen Patcharawat, who he said no longer had the legitimacy to continue in office.

He said the PAD would continue to press for action against other people who had not been charged in connection with the Oct 7 incident.

Mr Sondhi also said he doubted Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's explanation on Channel 11 on Monday night that the 4.6-square-kilometre area around the Preah Vihear temple is still in dispute and Thailand and Cambodia were trying to resolve it through negotiations.

He said the area had in fact been seized by Cambodia.

The PAD's stand is for Cambodian troops and Cambodian community to be pushed out of the disputed area, Mr Sondhi said.

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