Puea Pandin holds back decision for few days

Puea Pandin holds back decision for few days

The Puea Pandin party plans to make public its decision on whether it will join a People Power party-led coalition government by the end of this week. The party will announce its decision after the mourning period for Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, Puea Pandin leader Suvit Khunkitti said yesterday.

Mr Suvit hinted that his party will join the People Power party (PPP), saying his party had passed a resolution after negotiations with the PPP about forming a coalition government. He did not give details.

The Chart Thai party shares the same view, he added.

On the issue of the Election Commission's (EC) decision to issue yellow and red cards to winning candidates, mostly from the PPP, Mr Suvit said the EC's decision would not change the present political situation as the number of seats was not a main issue for his party in deciding whether to join a PPP-led coalition government.

The party took into consideration the stability of the country and an end to political conflicts before making its decision about joining the government, said Mr Suvit, a former cabinet minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra administration. He believed the PPP would abide by the five conditions his party and Chart Thai had set.

The conditions are reverence for the monarchy, respect for Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda, no reprisals, Thaksin Shinawatra's return to face the due process of law and no meddling with the work of the Assets Examination Committee.

There would be no problems regarding the allocation of ministerial portfolios if Puea Pandin and Chart Thai joined a coalition led by the PPP, said Mr Suvit, whose party won 24 seats in the Dec 23 polls. Puea Pandin deputy leader Man Pattanothai confirmed that both Puea Pandin and Chart Thai would take the same path.

Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-acha and his party's chief adviser Maj-Gen Sanan Kachornprasart refused to give any interviews about the party's progress in forming a coalition with the PPP.

Maj-Gen Sanan, who has been assigned to act as the party's coordinator, said the party would make its decision known after the mourning period.