THAILAND: Six party coalition announced
Updated
The People's Power Party that is linked to the controversial billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, over the weekend announced a six party coalition government that will take up the reins of power with the formation of a new cabinet. The party has set as their first priority, national reconciliation and the revival of Thailand's economy.
Presenter: Ron Corben
Speakers: Samak Sundaravej, People's Power Party leader; Surapong Suebwonglee, Secretary-General People's Power Party.
The People's Power Party officially announced a six party coalition to take up the reigns of government over the next few weeks. The announcement made at a special press conference still left uncertain whether PPP leader Samak Sundaravej, will be the next prime minister. Mr Samak, a former Bangkok governor and long time politician, who has acknowledged he is a nominee for ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, says he is confident the coalition will stay together.
SAMAK: Altogether six parties - 315 seats so it's 315 out of 480 seats -so there's enough. Its 480 seats in the House so we get together - so we'll be a coalition government - yes.
CORBEN: Last Friday the Thai Supreme Court dismissed a case against the People's Power Party that it was acting as a nominee for Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party disbanded by a constitutional tribunal in May last year which also banned 111 Thai Rak Thai executives from politics for five years over 2006 election breaches. Mr. Samak says the way ahead now is for the formation of the new government.
SAMAK: It must be an opening of the house on Monday and a day after that it will be selection of the speaker of the House and then the selection of the Prime Minister. Then we get together about a week or so that we set up the Cabinet - (which) will go to the King. I think we'll take about 15 days - we will have the government - we have the Cabinet set.
CORBEN: PPP Secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee says the new cabinet will be formed quickly now that the coalition has been formally announced.
SURAPONG: This is a transitional phase that Thailand is back to democracy. So it's under our expectation that we will face some obstacles but at least we have come to this point and we have announced the coalition government - So I think that from now on things many things will happen very quickly.
CORBEN: Mr. Thaksin is facing several cases of corruptiton and abuse of power as well as being among the 111 Thai Rak Thai Party executives banned from politics. Reports Sunday said the new government would look to passing amnesty legislation. The new government may also look at ways to slow the pace of investigations against Mr. Thaksin. But Mr. Surapong says the new administration's priority will be economic revival.
SURAPONG: Of course the Thaksin case or many issues - the 111 politicians that have been banned from an active role in politics - this is not our priority - out top priority is within the next six months is we would like to work very hard to solve the economic problem - so this the thing that the Thai people would like us to do.
The first thing that we should do is that we should try to make everyone in this country - and in the global arena to have confidence in the Thai economy - so we will try to bring back the reconciliation and the unity of the Thai people. By the way we would like to implement the economic plan to improve or increase the income of the people and increase the tourism.
