ID :
37822
Mon, 12/29/2008 - 19:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/37822
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Government postpones policy statement to Parliament to Tuesday
Government postpones policy statement to Parliament to Tuesday
BANGKOK, Dec 29 (TNA) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been forced to postpone delivering his government's policy statement to Parliament until early Tuesday after being postponed twice on Monday due to massive protests by 'Red Shirt' protesters of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
The coalition government took office last Tuesday and was earlier scheduled to deliver its policy statement to the chamber on Monday and Tuesday as required by the Constitution.
But Mr. Abhisit and his ministers were unable to enter Parliament on Monday morning or afternoon after several thousand UDD protesters blocked all entrances to Parliament.
By Monday evening, Kampee Disthakorn, Deputy Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, told journalists that Parliament President Chai Chidchob had sent SMS messages to members of parliament (MPs) and senators that the meeting would be postponed and due to start at 9.30 am. Tuesday.
After learning that the session would be postponed until early Tuesday, UDD leader Veera Musikapong, a veteran politician who is the core organiser of the 'Red Shirt' demonstration, told demonstrators that the postponement is not a problem as the 'Red Shirt' people would "sit at the same place and allow the prime minister to enter the parliament building by foot."
Mr. Veera said the UDD leaders wanted the prime minister to listen to the demands of the UDD's supporters including their call for the dissolution of the House.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Puea Thai Party, the major opposition party in the House, said his MPs will meet at party headquarters early Tuesday to evaluate the situation and to see whether the government would again postpone the delivery of the policy statement.
The Puea Thai MPs are prepared to debate the government's policy, the spokesman said. It is still not known whether the session would be held somewhere other than the Parliament itself. (TNA)
BANGKOK, Dec 29 (TNA) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been forced to postpone delivering his government's policy statement to Parliament until early Tuesday after being postponed twice on Monday due to massive protests by 'Red Shirt' protesters of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
The coalition government took office last Tuesday and was earlier scheduled to deliver its policy statement to the chamber on Monday and Tuesday as required by the Constitution.
But Mr. Abhisit and his ministers were unable to enter Parliament on Monday morning or afternoon after several thousand UDD protesters blocked all entrances to Parliament.
By Monday evening, Kampee Disthakorn, Deputy Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, told journalists that Parliament President Chai Chidchob had sent SMS messages to members of parliament (MPs) and senators that the meeting would be postponed and due to start at 9.30 am. Tuesday.
After learning that the session would be postponed until early Tuesday, UDD leader Veera Musikapong, a veteran politician who is the core organiser of the 'Red Shirt' demonstration, told demonstrators that the postponement is not a problem as the 'Red Shirt' people would "sit at the same place and allow the prime minister to enter the parliament building by foot."
Mr. Veera said the UDD leaders wanted the prime minister to listen to the demands of the UDD's supporters including their call for the dissolution of the House.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Puea Thai Party, the major opposition party in the House, said his MPs will meet at party headquarters early Tuesday to evaluate the situation and to see whether the government would again postpone the delivery of the policy statement.
The Puea Thai MPs are prepared to debate the government's policy, the spokesman said. It is still not known whether the session would be held somewhere other than the Parliament itself. (TNA)
