Thaksin considers return as full-time Thai PM
Thaksin Shinawatra may return as Thailand’s full-time prime minister, ending a break from politics he took last month amid street protests, a government spokesman said today.
Thaksin resumed some of his major duties today, including trying to tackle a bloody Muslim insurgency in the country’s southern provinces.
Spokesman Suraphong Suebwonglee said Thaksin might stage a full comeback by asking the Cabinet to revoke a resolution which appointed Chitchai Wannasathit as caretaker prime minister.
A return by Thaksin would renew tensions and probable street demonstrations by the People’s Alliance for Democracy, a coalition of groups which orchestrated earlier protests. Opposition political parties have not yet outlined how they would react to a comeback.
“Everyone is confused by Thaksin’s action. He is playing with the country like a kid with a toy. One day he wants to be prime minister and the next he doesn’t want to. I would like to warn Thaksin that the country is not a toy for him to play around with,” said Chuan Leekpai, a former prime minister and chief adviser to the opposition Democrat Party.
An alliance spokesman, Suriyasai Katasila, said more street protests would be held, but only after celebrations next month marking the 60th anniversary on the throne of the country’s revered monarch.
Thailand has had a caretaker government and no Parliament since April 2 snap general elections were annulled by the Constitutional Court.
“There are many problems. I will have to tackle them because it will be a long time until a new election is held,” Thaksin said.
The embattled Election Commission today proposed a further delay in plans for new elections until October 29, after Muslim officials said the earlier date conflicted with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
But neither date may hold since the commissioners are under pressure from the country’s top courts as well as opposition political parties to step down over claims that they unfairly favour Thaksin’s government.
Faced with protests calling for his ouster for alleged corruption and abuse of power, Thaksin abruptly dissolved Parliament in February and called snap elections on April 2, but the opposition boycotted the vote and the result was declared invalid.
Last week, the commission proposed October 22 as the date for a new election. But commission spokesman Prasert Suthison said the agency would change that date to October 29 in a proposal it sent to the Cabinet.
The decision was made after officials in southern Thailand said Muslims give food offerings and donations during Ramadan that are forbidden by election law. Ramadan this year falls between September 24 and October 23.
Thaksin took “a break from politics” after the April 2 polls to quell the protests and appointed Chitchai to take his place.
Last month, King Bhumibol Adulyadej urged the country’s top courts to end the political stalemate resulting from the election and the courts invalidated the balloting, won by Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party.
Concerns have been raised that the prolonged period with a caretaker government and no Parliament is having an adverse impact on the country’s economic and social affairs. New investment has slowed because of the political uncertainty.
