Follow the roadmap, says former coup leader

Follow the roadmap, says former coup leader

Former army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin talks politics while joining former and present generals in an event marking the setting up of the elite Special Warfare Command in Lop Buri on Friday. (Photo by Wassana Nanuam)
Former army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin talks politics while joining former and present generals in an event marking the setting up of the elite Special Warfare Command in Lop Buri on Friday. (Photo by Wassana Nanuam)

Former coupmaker Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin on Friday called on the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to stick to the plan to restore democracy and call the general election.

"I think the NCPO knows what the people want," the former army chief said when asked about the possibility of the poll to be delayed from this year.

Gen Sonthi, who now leads the Matubhum Party, hopes there would be no delay to the roadmap which, he said, should be respected by the regime.

"If it moves forward, people will be happy," he added.

His fresh call for democracy came in the wake of the stunning decision by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday to reject all seven election commissioner candidates.

The vote to shoot them down further dimmed the hope of a quick poll. In January, the NLA approved a section of the MP election organic bill which effectively delays the general election by up to 90 days from November this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai were on Friday among top political figures parading out to deny speculation the NLA had been ordered to reject the EC candidates. They insisted that the no-vote would not derail the election plan.

"No order from NCPO. No. No. The NLA made their own decision," Gen Prawit said.

Gen Sonthi ordered troops and tanks to oust then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19, 2006 in the first coup in 15 years. Eight years later on May 22, then-army chief Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha followed in his footsteps to unseat Thaksin's sister, Yingluck, and her government.

Gen Sonthi himself never became a prime minister and the government and other bodies he helped set up took only 15 months to draft the new constitution and call the general election.

However, the last coup has been viewed by many as "a waste" after Thaksin's new People's Power Party won with 233 of all 480 House seats. Yingluck again led Pheu Thai Party to sweep 265 of all 500 seats in 2011.     

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