Nov 14 election plan scrapped as Red Shirts prolong rally; reconciliation plan is ‘on’: Korbsak

BANGKOK, May 12 (TNA) – Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has scrapped his plan for a fresh general election on Nov 14 after the anti-government ‘Red Shirt’ United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) balked at ending their protest, and refused to budge, but the government’s five- point road map for national reconciliation will still be implemented, according to Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu.

Mr Korbsak said the premier withdrew the plan to dissolve the House of Representatives during Sept 15-30 for a general election to follow on Nov 14 because the UDD had vowed to continue protesting at Bangkok’s prime commercial area in Ratchaprasong until Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban surrenders to police to face charges for his role in the deadly April 10 crackdown.

Even though the Red Shirt leaders said they accepted the premier’s plan, the two sides were unable to find a joint solution because the UDD has a lack of unity and proposed additional conditions that obstructed the success of talks, he said.

The five-point road map that can lead the country to reform and solve political problems would still go on as planned, he said.

Meanwhile, Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the plan to cut off electricity, water supply and all kinds of public transport services at and around the Red Shirt rally site at Ratchaprasong from midnight may not be fully implemented at midnight as announced earlier.

The cutting off power and water supply was a very detailed matter, he said, adding that CRES had to consider the impact on the protesters and general public who were not involved with the demonstration.

CRES will meet again Wednesday night to discuss in detail  the areas of the plan because hospitals and important places must be taken into account, he said.

However, the other measures including traffic and mobile telephone access which CRES had planned would be publicised to the general public to know beforehand, said the spokesman.

Red Shirt leaders shrugged off the government’s threat to cut water and power supplies to the Ratchaprasong protest site at midnight. They said backup power generators were already  provided, and they also tapped water from the fire hydrants.

UDD leader Weng Tojirakan said that there was no more UDD leader daily meeting on Wednesday as there was no new agenda.

He said the Red Shirt’s sole demand was Mr Suthep’s surrender to police.

The Red Shirts will end their rally when the deputy premier turns himself in to the Police’s Crime Suppression Division to face charges to be brought against him in connection with the April 10 clashes in Bangkok which left 25 people dead and almost 1,000 injured, he said. (TNA)