Dissolution of House could be advanced
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to unveil a national reconciliation road map which he says will end the political stalemate with the red shirts, including plans to bring forward the dissolution of the House.
Mr Abhisit yesterday told foreign journalists he would announce details of the road map in one or two days.
He said he would bring forward the dissolution of the House ahead of the nine-month timeline he proposed in negotiations last month with the red shirt protesters.
``We believe we can ease the political upheaval by doing two things simultaneously,'' the prime minister said.
``First, we need a political solution of some kind, a road map to achieve reconciliation ... and, second, we have to make sure that the law is upheld.''
A source close to Mr Abhisit said the prime minister's reconciliation plan included the appointment of a committeee to rewrite the national constitution.
The new constitution would be a mix of elements from the 1997 and 2007 charters. The red-shirted United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and the main opposition party, Puea Thai, are demanding that the 1997 charter be reinstated. The ruling Democrat Party and its supporters want to keep the 2007 charter.
Mr Abhisit said on his weekly radio and television show yesterday that civic groups were drawing up a list of points they wanted addressed through social and political reforms.
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He said political reconciliation and reform must bring about measures to solve social inequities, poverty and injustice. These measures must be taken up not only by his government but by other administrations to solve structural problems.
The prime minister also said the government had a ``definite'' approach to reclaim the area at the Ratchaprasong intersection from the red shirts.
``We are sending a clear signal that we have given people enough time to leave [the occupied zone]. We are now in the process of sealing off and cutting off support before we actually move in.''
Mr Abhisit said the operation to retake the area was under way with a plan to contain the demonstration at Ratchaprasong and cut off supplies to the area.
The government would also enforce the law by bringing charges against those who break it, and was explaining the situation to foreign countries.
The prime minister said the operation must achieve success and repercussions must be kept to a minimum.
The cabinet came together for a special meeting yesterday where members endorsed a proposal by Mr Abhisit to give troops the authority to take control of the situation should it get out of control.
However, Mr Abhisit said it was not time to invoke martial law, the source said.
The cabinet yesterday approved a special budget of 249 million baht to pay 29,700 police to deal with the protesters, and approved 28 million baht for the Department of Special Investigation's handling of security-related cases, acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said.
Mr Panitan said the government would try to communicate with the protesters via SMS today to convince them to return home and to dissuade others from joining the rally.
Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday told www.emergingmarkets.org he might return to Thailand this year.
Thaksin said when asked if he could return in the next three months: ``I don't know. Hard to say, but I think it is possible this year.
``The only way forward is to reconcile but if they want to kill red shirts, there are too many. Do they want to kill millions?''
The red shirt protesters yesterday agreed to dismantle and remove barricades made up of old tyres, razor wire and sharpened bamboo in front of Chulalongkorn Hospital. This will allow traffic to make a U-turn in front of the building's Queen Sirikit Building, to return to the Sala Daeng intersection.
But they refused to remove the barricades stretching as far as the Sarasin intersection as the government and the hospital demanded. They have removed barricades from only half the area the government wanted cleared.
``We admit the red shirts were wrong to invade the hospital, and we're sorry and uncomfortable about that,'' UDD leader Natthawut Saikua said. However, they would only move the barricades so far.
Chulalongkorn Hospital director Adisorn Patradul said yesterday the hospital buildings near Ratchadamri Road would be closed for service until the red shirts take their protest away from the hospital.
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