By Thai Newsroom Reporters
AS MANY AS 100,000 PEOPLE are expected to sign a fresh petition to endorse legislation for pardon of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra so he could return home and effectively address the current pandemic situation.
Puea Chart MP Petcharawat Watanapongsirikul said today (July 16) he is mustering a minimum of 10,000 people to legally endorse the planned petition for Thaksin to come back to Thailand and fight the pandemic amidst speculation that as many as 100,000 people would eventually join such a move.
The planned massive petition may be lodged at parliament to endorse legislation for pardon of the former premier, earlier sentenced by the Supreme Court to 10 years in prison on misconduct charges.
The MP said it is time the ex-premier was given a pardon as a start-up to national reconciliation and unity regardless of previous political conflict.
Meanwhile, Thaksin, who earlier assured on Clubhouse online channel that he ”will certainly” come back home from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, where he has been staying in self-exile over the last decade, suggested those who have been pressing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to step down call on Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan for help.
Gen. Prawit, leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, could probably talk Gen. Prayut into either resigning or dissolving the House of Representatives, according to Thaksin, aka Tony Woodsome, who stopped short of elaborating.
Prime Minister Prayut has been largely pressed to step down due to his alleged mishandling of the pandemic situation which has obviously worsened with increased numbers of cases of infection and fatalities.
Pro-democracy groups have repeatedly taken to the streets of Bangkok in anti-Prayut protests and called on coalition partners, namely the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties, to withdraw from the Palang Pracharath Party-led government.
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Top: Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo: Reuters and published by BBC
Home Page: Thaksin Shinawatra now lives in self-imposed exile. Photo: PA and published by BBC
