ID :
328971
Sat, 05/17/2014 - 11:31
Auther :

PDRC confers with allies following Thai Senate's informal meeting

BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) - Leaders of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is scheduled to discuss with PDRC allies, as well as representatives of educational institutes and civil servants on Saturday afternoon on how to solve the persistent domestic political deadlock. PDRC Spokesman Ekanat Promphan told journalists of the planned meeting on Saturday morning, reiterating that a Senate statement, issued on Friday evening, on appointing a “neutral” prime minister to solve the domestic political strife is in line with the PDRC's idea. Ekanat said that the Thai Senate statement shares the same idea with PDRC, but any further delay cannot be allowed due to the current “political vacuum” in the country. Ekanat revealed Saturday afternoon's meeting would be held at Bangkok's Government House, now besieged by PDRC protesters, announcing that PDRC would start implementing conclusions from the meeting immediately. The PDRC spokesman admitted that there is a possibility of nominating Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha as the “neutral” prime minister, but he quickly added that there are still several other persons who are considered suitable for the post. Asked whether the PDRC is worried after more PDRC core leaders were arrested, after their arrest warrants were recently approved by Bangkok's Criminal Court, the spokesman stressed that the arrests would not affect the morale of PDRC demonstrators and they would continue their anti-government movement. In another development, Jatuporn Prompan, chairman of the pro-government United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), told a press conference that UDD members and supporters would stage a three-day mass rally, starting from May17, to closely monitor the PDRC's movement, vowing that his red-shirt group would escalate its movement if the Thai military intervened in politics, by the army chief's accepting the interim prime minister post as propsed by the PDRC. Jatuporn suggested if both PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban and the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) wish to see a national reform implemented before holding the next general election, a public referendum should be organised to let the majority of Thai people decide. UDD pro-government demonstrators have been holding rally on Aksa Road on the outskirts of western Bangkok since early this month. (TNA)

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