Abhisit attacks charter change

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva urged voters on Sunday to reject charter change in a referendum, in one of his strongest attacks to date on the government and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

In an open letter on his Facebook page, the Democrat Party leader called on the public to block what he called an attempt by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to "whitewash" all cases involving her brother, Thaksin, by writing a new constitution.

Ms Yingluyck's intention, he said, was to amend Section 309 of the 2007 charter, which legalised the actions and orders of the military coup-makers in 2006. Doing so would clear Thaksin of all the charges brought against him after the coup that toppled his government, said Mr Abhisit.

Thaksin fled the country in 2008 prior to being sentenced abused his power to help his then-wife buy public land at an auction. He maintains that the charge was politically motivated and that he would never get a fair trial.

The cabinet on Tuesday is expected to approve a plan on hold a referendum before forwarding it to parliament.

The Election Commission will be responsible for holding a referendum which is expected to cost around 2 billion baht and be held sometime between mid-March and mid-April.

The constitutional amendment process can go ahead if a majority of eligible voters, or more than 23 million, give it the green light.

Mr Abhisit said the opposition party alone could not stop the attempt to rewrite the charter and it needed help from other voters.

He called Thaksin's attempt "to stay above the law" the main stumbling block that has impeded the progress of the country for years.

"If we can [reject charter change in a referendum], this will be a new chapter in Thailand's political history," Mr Abhisit wrote on his Facebook page.

"It's a people's revolution which spares no blood to confirm that people and laws are above money and power."

Pheu Thai leader Charupong Ruangsuwan has expressed confidence that more than half of the 46 million eligible voters would support the goverbment's position on the referendum day.

On Friday, the coalition parties comprising Pheu Thai, Chartthaipattana, Chart Pattana, and Phalang Chon issued a joint statement, saying that they would move to organise a referendum before moving on to the third and final reading of the charter amendment bill.

Related search: charter amendments, Abhisit, Thaksin, Yingluck, referendum

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/12/16/abhisit-attacks-charter-change/