Thai ruling coalition partners vow to dump amnesty bill if Senate vetos

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-11-10 9:11:53

Four coalition partners of Thai government on Saturday signed a joint declaration that they will definitely dump the controversial blanket amnesty bill if it is rejected by the Senate.

The leaders of the Pheu Thai (For Thais) Party and three partners signed the joint declaration at the headquarters of the ruling party.

None of the lawmakers of the coalition parties will reintroduce the amnesty bill and push it through parliament if it is turned down by the Senate on Monday, according to the joint declaration.

Under the constitution, the government, as proponent of the legislation, might otherwise reintroduce it to parliament 180 days after it is turned down by the upper house.

"The coalition government has respected and considered the people's protests against the amnesty bill and in order to keep conflict in society from intensifying, we've decided to issue a joint declaration to assure that we will by no means pick it up again," announced the Pheu Thai Party leader, who is concurrently interior minister.

A vast majority of senators have resolved to turn down the bill which was adopted by the House of Representatives on Nov. 1, according to Senate Speaker Nikom Vairatchapanich.

The latest government move was apparently prompted by concerns that the prolonged anti-amnesty protests on Rajdamnern Avenue, less than one kilometer from Government House, might escalate as thousands of demonstrators remain on the street.

The protesters have been led by the opposition Democrat Party and the so-called Network of Students and People for Thailand Reform and the 77-Provincial People Alliance.

Hundreds of policemen armed with batons and shields keep the protesters from proceeding to Government House and set up barricades at a bridge only about 200 meters away while nearly 5, 000 other policemen are deployed inside and around the government premises.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who earlier assured the amnesty bill would be dumped once and for all has repeatedly said the authorities will not use force against the protesters.

The controversial bill was designed to pardon those involved in political violence since former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a 2006 coup.

Thaksin, who is living in exile to escape a two-year jail term, would benefit from the amnesty bill if it was passed into law, the opposition said.

Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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