The Lawyers Association has petitioned the Constitution Court to order the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) to end its anti-government rallies and to consider dissolving the opposition Democrat Party.
At the Office of the Constitution Court on Friday, association president Narinpong Jinapak said he had submitted a petition asking the court to consider whether the actions of PDRC secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and the Democrat Party were unconstitutional efforts to seize power.
Lawyers' association: Mr Suthep, left, and Mr Abhisit are responsible for the political crisis. (Photo by Thanarak Khoonton)
The said the association asked the court to decide whether their actions violated Section 68 of the charter, which stipulates that "no person shall exercise the rights and liberties prescribed in the constitution to overthrow the democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State".
Narinpong Jinapak (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
"The current political crisis in Thailand is caused by Mr Suthep, Mr Abhisit and the Democrat Party, after their demonstrators occupied different offices for about a month.
"We can see that their actions are in violation of the rights and liberties of other people.
"We ask the court to issue an emergency protective order against the defendants so they will end their protests of surrounding, intruding and occupying private and state offices and disrupting public facilities and transportation," Mr Narinpong said.
The Lawyers' Association of Thailand also asked the charter court to issue an order to dissolve the Democrat Party and impose a five-year electoral rights ban on Democrat executives, he said.
Meanwhile, a network of law students submitted a proposal calling on the government and its opponents to negotiate and find solutions to the ongoing political conflict.
Network representative Pannamas Arammuang said his network resolved that the government and leaders of the anti-government group should hold talks in public in an effort to settle their differences in accordance with the constitution.
"A House dissolution and a resignation by the prime minister are not the proper way to return power to the people and won't be accepted by the protesters," Mr Pannamas said.
In the long run, political reform is needed and the public must participate in amending the constitution to ensure decentralisation of power. A referendum must be held following the amendment process to avoid conflicts in a sustainable manner, he said.
Pongthep Thepkanjana (Photo by Chaiwat Sardyaem)
Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana, who received the proposal from the law students' network, said the government had been trying to gather information to find ways to solve the political crisis.
"Students in the faculty of law should know well that when people in a democratic society have opposing views, there are mechanisms in the constitution and means to solve it in a democratic way," said Mr Pongthep who, together with Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri, has been assigned by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to set up a "people's forum" bringing together academics and legal experts to discuss how to resolve the political conflict.
On the PDRC's demand to set up a "people's council", he said, "If you want to have a charter drafting assembly, you'll have to put it in the constitution. As for the people's council, what power would it have and would it result in many more councils?"
When reporters asked him about the PDRC's proposal to invoke Section 7 of the constitution to pave the way for a royally appointed government, Mr Pornthep said the public should read His Majesty the King's statement about the issue on April 25, 2006.
At the time, His Majesty said Section 7 does not give the monarch authority to do anything he wants.
The section only refers to democratic government with the King as head of state, His Majesty said.
"If I do [act], they will say the King has acted beyond the scope of his duty. I never overstep my duty. If I overstep my duty, this is undemocratic," the King said.