BANGKOK, April 5 (TNA) – Thailand's anti-government 'Red Shirt' United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) carried their protest before noon Monday to the offices of the Election Commission (EC) in surbuban Bangkok, demanding that the poll agency speed up its probe into alleged unlawful donations to the ruling Democrat Party.
However, the election watchdog agency's five commissioners were not in the offices when the demonstration began.
UDD leader Nattawut Saikua made the announcement in the third day of a Red Shirt protest at the capital’s prime commercial area, Ratchaprasong, to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve Parliament.
A contingent of Red Shirt protesters remained at the group’s main rally site at Phan Fa Bridge, Rachadamnoen Avenue, since their campaign ousting the Abhisit administration began in mid-March.
The Red Shirt leaders on Sunday announced that they will lead their red-clad supporters to other locations banned by the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) on Monday to put more pressure on the prime minister, but refused to disclose the targeted destinations.
Key Red Shirt leader Nattawut said Monday morning that Suporn Attawong and Kwanchai Praipana will lead UDD activists from Phan Fa Bridge to the EC headquarters in Chaengwattana Road to pressure the EC to speed up its investigation of what he called an "unlawful Bt258-million donation to the Democrat Party which could lead to the dissolution of the ruling party.”
Mr Nattawut said that the UDD representatives will urge EC chairman Apichart Sukhagghanond to apply the same standards in case proceedings as they did to the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai and People's Power parties.
The Democrat Party was earlier accused of violating the Constitution, which prohibits a political party to receive financial donations of over Bt10 million a year from a company, by accepting Bt258 million in donations from listed company TPI Polene in 2005.
Mr Nattawut added that the Red Shirt caravan will pass Paholyothin Road and head to Chaengwattana where the EC office is located, saying the UDD does not respect the CAPO’s ban on 11 routes.
Following the government’s plan for an injunction to force the Red Shirts leave the Ratchaprasong intersection, Mr Nattawut asserted that the UDD will not move from the area and has sent a legal team to file an immediate counter-petition against the government’s move.
The UDD leader said he has been told that the government is now seeking an arrest warrant against him and other top Red Shirts, including Veera Musikapong, Jatuporn Prompan, Weng Tojirakarn and Arisman Pongruangrong.
The protest leader however asserted that the UDD leaders will nevertheless lead their supporters and are unworried over possible arrest, as leaders of the 'Yellow Shirt' People’s Alliance for Democracy could run their protest despite being issued warrants.
"If the key protest leaders are detained, a second generation of Red Shirt leaders will replace them, and a third generation will take the job if the second is also detained,” Mr Nattawut said.
Shortly afterward, the attorney-general filed a petition at Civil Court Monday morning to order the red-clad protesters to leave Ratchaprasong intersection and ban them from entering 11 commercial routes.
The Red Shirts’ legal team submitted a counterpetition after the government’s petition had been filed.
Meanwhile, the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association (RSTA) said Monday that the high-end shopping malls in the area remain closed for the third consecutive day since the red-shirted protesters encamped there on Saturday.
However some offices, luxury hotels and some shops in Siam Square are open. The RSTA will assess the situation on an hourly basis and will consider the safety of customers and employees as its first priority.
Seven securities companies located in Ratchaprasong were operating normally Monday but the number of customers has dwindled. (TNA)
No comments:
Post a Comment