House debates KPI report despite warnings

House debates KPI report despite warnings

The House of Representatives yesterday forged ahead with a debate on the controversial reconciliation report despite caution from the King Prajadhipok's Institute, which wrote it.

Demonstrators of the multi-coloured group gather in protest yesterday as parliament considered a report on national reconciliation. They fear the government will exploit its majority in the House to push for an amnesty bill in the name of reconciliation, to allow fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return home a free man. CHANAT KATANYU

The Democrat Party asked the chamber to acknowledge the study while broader views on its proposals were sought, as suggested by the KPI.

Democrat MP for Surat Thani Chen Thaugsuban said the House should adhere to the KPI's advice.

"The report doesn't offer a conclusion. It explores approaches to achieving the goal," he said. "Reconciliation is hard to achieve. I'd like to ask the House to take it out [of the chamber]."

However, Pheu Thai MPs remained steadfast the KPI's study was good enough to be debated in the House.

Phue Thai list-MP Chaowalit Wichayasuth, secretary of the reconciliation committee, said the panel had commissioned the KPI to conduct the study because it did not want to have the issue decided by a majority rule.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday stressed the KPI's concerns about the report and called on Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, chairman of the committee, to state if he agreed with it.

Gen Sonthi, however, passed the buck to the House, saying the committee had completed its task and it was up to the House to decide. His answer drew jeers from Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat Witthaya Kaewparadai.

"If this is your answer, the committee should go home, we have the report and you may be excused and leave," he said.

Pheu Thai MP for Yasothon Pirapan Palusuk, also a member of the reconciliation committee, agreed it was up to the House to decide and not the reconciliation committee.

"We should read the report thoroughly. If we agree with the committee and the KPI's report, we continue our work," he said.

Pheu Thai list-MP Wattana Muangsuk, another member of the reconciliation committee, stressed the need to respect regulations if reconciliation was to be achieved. He said there was no such thing as "dictatorship of the majority".

Democrat MP for Phatthalung Nipit Intarasombat argued that majority rule should not be abused.

"A majority has no right to break the law. If a majority breaks the law, we can't just whitewash them. A majority can't establish righteousness," he said.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration showed 48% of respondents believed the political situation would worsen if ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra returned to the country unpunished. Around 20% felt his return would improve politics.

Some 64% thought Thaksin should come back from exile and fight the pending criminal cases against him.

Meanwhile, 45% said they had no idea when asked if the King Prajadhipok's Institute research should be cited as guidelines for designing national reconciliation. The poll showed 28% support the use of the research.

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