The anti-government protest leader on Wednesday called for meetings with armed forced high level officers, head of police and leaders of private sectors in hope of gaining more allies.
Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the anti-government protesters, spoke on Wednesday night that the 40 leaders of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) would like to meet with the commander in chief, the chiefs of the army, navies, and air force, and the national police chief in order to clarify the PDRC’s demands and proposals.
Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the anti-government protesters, spaeks on the rally stage on Nang Leong intersection on 7.30pm of Wednesday. The Speech was braodcasted by Blue Sky Channel, a cableTV affilated to thee opposition Democrat Party.
The PDRC’s goal is to eliminate the so-called “Thaksin regime” which roughly means a political system and country manipulated and administered by self-exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and for Thaksin. Although Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, younger sister of Thaksin, on Monday called for a House dissolution and a fresh election, this has not satisfied the protesters since they all know that the Thaksin’s party will be re-elected and has more than half of the Lower House’s seats. The PDRC, instead, proposed to have an appointed “People’s Council” and appointed “intermediary PM” to reform laws and administer the country without election for a few years. The council, PDRC said, would reform the country in order to cleanse the country from corrupted politicians and Thaksin regime. The proposal has been heavily criticized as legally impossible and unconstitutional.
Suthep also plans to meet with the seven leading private sector organizations, who previously voiced their concerns over the situation and calling for a peaceful democratic solution to the current conflict.
The seven organizations comprise the thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Bankers’ Association, the Tourism Council of Thailand, the Federation of Thai Capital Market, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, and Thai Listed Companies Association.
The protest leader said the meeting is not only to clarify the movement’s proposal, but also to exchange views and collect recommendations from various sectors, adding that all the meetings are not meant to pressure the armed forces nor the private sector and that all the meetings will end before Thursday’s 8 pm.
“[The PDRC] full committee of 40 people will join the meetings. We won’t have the protesters march to pressure. Only the committee. The meeting will be formal and public. What’s for? In order to explain to you that the great mass of people who own the sovereign power has the intention to reform Thailand for better, to be a truly democratic country,” said Suthep, former number of the pro-establishment opposition Democrat Party.
The pro-Thaksin red-shirt supporters are also welcome to join its reform mission, Suthep said, with exception of red-shirt leaders such as Jatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Saikua.
Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, in his capacity as the director of Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) on Wednesday morning said that the international community has been welcome the government’s decision to call for an election and that all Thais should exercise their rights through the election. The minister read parts of statements from the U.S., Germany, News Zealand, Canada, and China, respectively.