Thai army chief discusses national solutions with top officials

BANGKOK, May 20 (TNA) - Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, in his capacity as Director of the newly-set up Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC), convened top officials of government agencies and state enterprises, as well as governors of all Thai provinces and representatives of independent organisations and civil society groups at the Thai Army Club in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon to discuss national solutions, hours after he declared martial law nationwide. However, Supreme Commander General Tanasak Patimapragorn, who was in the middle of an overseas trip, did not attend the meeting, live transmitted via a video conference system to major military units in provincial areas to let provincial and local administrators to follow up updates. General Prayuth told journalists, before the close-door meeting, that he did not order the top officials to report themselves to him, but he, instead, would like them to acknowledge orders issued under the martial law and to join forces to solve the persistent domestic political deadlock. Meanwhile, Acting Caretaker Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan told reporters that his caretaker administration also wants to see the restoration of peace and order in the country through peaceful solutions, fairness and the rule of law. An election commissioner, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, revealed that the caretaker government still wants the Election Commission of Thailand to organise the new general election on August 3, 2014 and insists that Niwattumrong has the authority to submit a royal decree on the next national poll date for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's endorsement, but agreeing that the royal decree has a provision stating that the new general election could be delayed in case of any emergency. Neutral senators, in the meantime, expressed support for the imposition of the martial law, opining that it could prevent future violence and proposing that General Prayuth mediate conflicting parties to quickly restore national peace and order during the martial law enforcement. Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said via his facebook account that the Thai Senate should nominate a new interim prime minister right away, and that he told his People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) demonstrators to stay at his group's rallying venues and PDRC's anti-government demonstrations would be continued. Pro-government red-shirts' leader Jatuporn Prompan also posted on his facebook account that the red-shirt rally was also continuing on Utthayan Road on the outskirts of western Bangkok, as the imposition of the martial law was not a military coup and Thailand has to be subject to the Constitution. (TNA)