People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban appealed to the country’s “senior figures” to work together to rid Thailand of the so-called Thaksin regime within three days.
Otherwise, he said Friday, the anti-government protest group will take matters into its own hands and achieve the goal by itself.
Mr Suthep was speaking to supporters at Lumpini Park, the PDRC’s rally base, before the protest group kicked off its “all-out final battle” campaign yesterday morning.
The PDRC protesters on Friday moved in different groups from their protest bases at Lumpini Park and Chaeng Watthana Road to besiege seven locations — Government House, TV Channels 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, and the government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (Capo) headquarters based at the Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
“The aim of our campaign is to call on the country’s senior figures such as the president of the Supreme Court, the deputy Senate speaker and Election Commission chairman to come together to end the political deadlock.
“If you [senior figures] join forces and unite, we can rid the country of the Thaksin regime smoothly. But if you fail to do anything within three days, we will do it using our own methods,” Mr Suthep said.
The PDRC demanded that the TV stations report PDRC activities and messages and stop serving the caretaker government. The protesters stayed overnight at all the venues except TV Channel 3 and Capo headquarters.
Later in the day, Mr Suthep led the PDRC to parliament to submit a letter to the deputy Senate speaker to urge the Senate to find ways to set up an interim government to push for reform ahead of an election.
Mr Suthep handed a letter to Surachai Liangboonlertchai yesterday in his capacity as deputy Senate speaker, though last night Sen Surachai was elected as Senate speaker.
In the letter, the PDRC appealed to the Senate to work with other organisations to find a way to end the political impasse.
The PDRC said the country is in turmoil and a poll cannot be held when the caretaker government "is no longer legitimate".
The Senate, which now is the only legislative body remaining after the House of Representatives was dissolved last year, should step in to lead efforts to break the political deadlock in the country by installing an interim government to initiate reforms before an election is held, the PDRC said in its letter.
Sen Surachai said the Senate was not ignoring the problems faced by the country.
He said he intended to invite all senators to an informal meeting to discuss solutions to the political deadlock next week, adding that the meeting could be pushed forward to today if the problems need attending to urgently, Sen Surachai said.
Before being elected as Senate speaker last night, Sen Surachai was acting Senate speaker because the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) recommended that ex-Senate Speaker Nikhom Wairatpanich be impeached for his role in passing the charter amendment draft to make the Senate fully elected.
The NACC ruling means Mr Nikhom has had to cease his duties as Senate speaker.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said yesterday the party’s legal team will gather evidence to file suit against Mr Suthep and other PDRC co-leaders for instigating insurrection.