DEMOCRAT SAYS COALITION PARTIES SHOULD HELP AMEND CONSTITUTION
PARISTA YUTHAMANOP
A caretaker government should be established to break the political deadlock, says Democrat MP Trairong Suwannakhiri.
This could be brought about by collaboration between the coalition parties and the opposition to amend the constitution, he suggested.
But both sides need to amend Article 171 of the 2007 charter to allow a non-MP to become caretaker prime minister.
The caretaker government could have a limited tenure of one year, with its key mission being to focus on the amendment of the army-backed charter, Mr Trairong said.
The approach could be the most suitable answer to the standoff between the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the government.
The PAD is calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat over allegations he abused his power in handling issues associated with convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The idea of a caretaker government could become more plausible after Tuesday, when the Constitution Court rules on the dissolution of the ruling People Power party and its coalition partners, the Chart Thai and Matchimathipataya parties, Mr Trairong said. He said it would also help avert a coup.
According to him, each side needs to step back to avert violence. Both sides should forgo their pride and collaborate on a new government with a non-partisan person taking the job of prime minister, he said.
The political standoff intensified when the anti-government protesters shut down Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports and the two sides rejected any talk of compromise.
Chalongbhop Sussangkarn, a former finance minister, has criticised the coalition parties for failing to resolve the deadlock and said the country has plunged into a state of anarchy. The government has become dysfunctional and its foes are willing to take any steps to secure victory, he said.
The coalition parties should have resigned from the government to resolve the political unrest, he said.
The coalition should have pushed for changes in the government because the ruling party does not have the majority of seats in parliament, said Mr Chalongbhop, now a distinguished fellow at Thailand Development Research Institute.
Patareeya Benjapolchai, president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand, said yesterday the best way out was for the prime minister to dissolve the House so political power can be returned to the people. Such a move could also convince the PAD to end its mass rally at the two airports, which has severely damaged the country's economy.
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