Suchon Chaleekrua, a member of the National Reform Steering Assembly, affirmed on Wednesday he is not representing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra or the Pheu Thai Party on the NRSA, and is serving in a purely personal capacity.
Mr Suchon, a former speaker of the House of Representatives and former member of the Pheu Thai Party, said this after reporting to the NRSA for the first time. He added that he had resigned from membership of the Pheu Thai party.
Asked whether he would push for an amnesty for people who had taken part in past political violence, as demanded by the red-shirts, Mr Suchon said he would do so under the framework of the 2014 interim constitution.
"Reconciliation and unity is important and urgent necause Thailand has long been split by political conflict," he said.
Mr Suchin said it was a good sign that the 200 NRSA members were selected from various fields of expertise and experience. This reflected Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's wish to see people of all sides turn and see one another, and talk.
He admitted he had talked to Thaksin and former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra before resigning his Pheu Thai membership, but denied representing them in the NRSA.
Mr Suchon said Thaksin had tried to push for reconciliation, but whether this would materialise depended on cooperation from all sides.
Former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama said it was a personal decision for a former Pheu Thai member to be chosen to sit on the NRSA, but the party was still firm in its standpoint of not having a representative on the assembly.
He thanked Mr Suchon for resigning from Pheu Thai after being appointed, to protect the party's name.
Mr Noppadon declined to predict whether the NRSA would be successful in its reform efforts, adding that time would prove its ability.
"Since Pheu Thai can't conduct any political activities, we can only monitor all developments.
"We hope that after the country has returned to normal, the party will be able to fully perform the duty of a political movement," he added.
