BANGKOK, June 24 – Top Pheu Thai Party list candidate Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday dismissed allegations by the Democrat Party that her brother, fugitive ex-premier Thaksin, is now lobbying coalition parties to form a new government with her party.
Ms Yingluck’s denial came after Democrat party deputy leader Suthep Thaugsuban said he was told by an unidentified friend that Mr Thaksin is working through a close aide to seek cooperation from coalition parties in forming a new government led by the Pheu Thai party, with favours being offered in return.
The Pheu Thai prime ministerial hopeful stated that her brother, now living in exile, has nothing to do with the new government formation and that it is now too early to talk about the matter.
She downplayed the impact of the Democrat Party’s political at Ratchaprasong Thursday evening, saying the information on the Red Shirt demonstrations and their clashes with security forces cited by the Democrat heavyweights on the stage was not new as it was debated in parliament.
“The Pheu Thai Party will not hit back at the Democrats’ allegation that we want to see the country moving towards national reconciliation,” Ms Yingluck said.
The Pheu Thai Party issued a statement Friday dismissing the Democratic allegations that it has a policy to grant amnesty for the convicted ex-premier and returning his seized assets worth Bt46.373 billion.
The statement accused Mr Abhisit and the Democrat Party of intentionally slandering Pheu Thai with false information.
In other developments, Thaksin’s three children, Panthongtae, Pinthongta and Paethongtan, on Friday joined the election campaign to help Pheu Thai MP candidate for Bangkok constituency 7.
Ms Pinthongta said she hopes her father can return to Thailand for her wedding set for December but that it depends on several factors.
Following deposed premier Thaksin’s tweet in his Twitter account @thaksinlive asking all parties to forget the past and begin national reconciliation, Prime Minister Abhisit on Friday asserted that reconciliation will be able to start only if Mr Thaksin himself accepts the court ruling.
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions last year seized assets valued at Bt46 billion (US$1.4 billion) from Mr Thaksin out of the entire Bt76 billion ($2.3 billion) fortune after ruling that the fugitive former premier had abused his power.
Mr Abhisit said he was unworried by Mr Thaksin’s alleged move to form a new government after the July 3 election, saying the Democrat Party stood firm in saying that if the public want the country freed from the Thaksin cycle, vote for the Democrats.
The Democrat party leader attended a party campaign event today at Chulalongkorn University where his wife Pimpen, a university lecturer, and his daughter Prang, who studies there reportedly joined the activity amid cheerful supporters. (MCOT online news)
