Policemen in riot gear keep guard
outside Parliament in Bangkok Sept. 12, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BANGKOK,
Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Anti-government protesters continued their rally and
occupation in the Government House although Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister
Somchai Wongsawat announced to lift the emergency decree in Bangkok on Sunday,
12 days after it was imposed by the former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
The lifting takes effect from Sunday, said Somchai in
a statement, citing that the emergency decree would further affect people's life
and cause economic losses to the country, and that no major violent incidents
has happened since the decree was imposed, which meant the situation has
improved and made a state of emergency unnecessary.
Somchai said that political uncertainties in the
recent past had already brought the kingdom negative impacts socially and
economically.
He urged all parties to solve their "conflicts of
ideas" and reach reconciliation in form of dialogue within the framework of law
and democracy in order to improve the situation.
The caretaker prime minister did not make a demand
for the anti-government protesters organized by the People's Alliance for
Democracy (PAD), who have seized and occupied the Government House in central
Bangkok since Aug. 26, to disperse, though.
The PAD had demanded Samak and his whole cabinet to
resign and pushed for its so-called "new politics" concept, which want a major
part of the parliament members to be appointed rather than elected, to be
imposed.
However, the army chief maintained on no use of force
in efforts to remove the PAD protesters, who continued their rally and
occupation in the Government House.
After violent clashes broke out before dawn on Sept.
2 between pro-government demonstrators and PAD protesters on the streets of
Bangkok, Samak declared a state of emergency over Bangkok hours later, and
assigned Army Chief Anupong to be in charge of the imposition.
After Samak was disqualified by a Constitutional
Court verdict on Tuesday which found him in breach of the charter by hosting TV
cooking shows while in office, first Deputy Prime Minister Somchai was appointed
as acting prime minister to head the caretaker government.
The House of Representatives on Friday postponed a
scheduled vote on a new prime minister until next Wednesday after the PPP split
over whether to re-nominate Samak, while other five coalition parties also
voiced opposition to the choice of Samak.
Samak later declined the offer.
Anti-government protesters walk inside
the Government House during a demonstration in Bangkok on Sept. 13, 2008.
Samak Sundaravej will not be a candidate in next week's parliamentary vote
for a new Thai prime minister, an aide said on Friday, but street
campaigners vowed to keep up the pressure on the government he led for
seven months.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Somchai is now deemed among the three favorite
candidates for the prime minister post by the PPP, which is set to announce its
decision on the final choice on Monday and now lobbying coalition partners to
accept its choice.
Although the emergency decree was lifted, the PAD on
Sunday vowed to carry on anti-government rally at the Government House.
Two core leaders of PAD, Chamlong Srimuang and Somsak
Kosaikul, held a press conference on Sunday morning, saying that the emergency
decree has caused damage to the country in many aspects, but it was not the
PAD's fault.
They also made it clear that the PAD will not accept
the three top tipped candidates of PPP for the premiership -- including
caretaker PM Somchai, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister
Surapong Suebwonglee, caretaker Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat, or anyone
from the current caretaker government led by PPP.
They have vowed to continue their demonstration until
the current administration steps down and it becomes certain that no other
"proxy" of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra runs the country.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej
speaks during a news conference in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, Sept. 2,
2008. (Xinhua/Ling Shuo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BANGKOK, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's former prime
minister Samak Sundaravej said he will end his role as leader of the ruling
People Power Party (PPP), local media reported on Friday.
Theerapon Nop-ampa, former Prime Minister's secretary
general and Samak's aide, was quoted by The Nation news network as saying that
Samak had done his best as leader of PPP and to protect the country's democracy.
Full story
BANGKOK, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Samak Sundaravej, who was
earlier disqualified as Thailand's prime minister, has decided to give up a bid
to be reinstalled for the premiership, after coalition parties voiced opposition
against his nomination by his People Power Party (PPP).
Somsak Kietsuranont, a PPP executive member and member of
parliament, said that it is understood that PPP leader Samak has decided to
decline the party's nomination of him for the premier post, a report by The
Nation news website said. Full story
BANGKOK, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thai army seemed reluctant to
use any tough measures to disperse anti-government protesters after Prime
Minister Samak Sundaravej on Tuesday morning declared a state of emergency in
Bangkok following violent clashes between the pro and anti-government protesters
in early morning.
Army Commander-in-Chief Anupong Paojinda said at a press
conference around 1:40 p.m. 0640 GMT at the Army headquarters in Bangkok that
the army's enforcement of emergency decree will be based on the "principle of
democracy" and rely on negotiation, rather than use of force to avoid further
confrontations.
