PRD threatens to rally unless Thai PM resign

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has said that it would hold a mass rally next month if caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra continued to cling to power regardless of judicial recommendations to end the political crisis, the local press reported Sunday.

PAD leaders, while chairing their first national convention at the Thammasat auditorium Saturday, declared their readiness to return to the streets if the Constitution Court's consideration on Thai Rak Thai party's status was subject to interference.

PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila told members to gather to foster regional networks, boost the long-term strength of people's politics, discuss measures to stop the Thaksin regime, ensure transparency and true democracy and push for political reform.

The loose coalition, which has held large-scale anti-Thaksin protests over the past

months, condemned caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin, his cabinet and election commissioners for holding on to power and refusing to resign to end the political conflict.

They would wait for the courts to exercise their power to find a solution to the political stalemate and would keep a close watch on the government to see how it reacted, its leaders were quoted by the Bangkok Post newspaper as saying.

The Constitution Court is expected to decide next month whether the Thai Rak Thai party should be disbanded for allegedly bankrolling small political parties to contest the April 2 general election.

Meanwhile, the Thai Rak Thai Party has called for a speedy review of the allegation that it committed campaign fraud, saying it wants to clear its name and move on instead of being embroiled in uncertainty.

"The Thai Rak Thai Party executive board has no worries about the legal proceedings and welcomes this as a chance to confirm its innocence in court," party deputy leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan said Saturday.

Last month the Election Commission (EC) found cause to suspect that the ruling party had bankrolled small parties to contest the April 2 election in order to overcome the so-called 20-per-cent rule.

Prosecutors will decide on Tuesday whether to initiate judicial proceedings or to ask the EC to gather additional evidence on the accusation.

Source: Xinhua