June 2nd, 2007, 16:17
"Govt and NLA to decide on who will get amnesty : Gen Sonthi - The Nation
In an expected move, Council of National Security's chief Gen Sonthi Bunyaratglin said CNS support an idea to grant amnesty to executives of now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party, whom the Constitutional Tribunal banned them of voting rights for five years.
The Constitutional Tribunal disbanded on Wednesday Thai Rak Thai party of exiled prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and banned all 11 party's executives.
The Tribunal based its bans on the executives on the CNS's orders issued after the coup d'etat that ousted Thaksin last year.
Sonthi said the CNS supported the amnesty wanted to promote reconciliation in the country.
"Many sectors in Thai society have called for the amnesty to be granted to the banned politicians. We, the CNS, viewed that the idea is in accordance with the ways of reconciliation," he said.
``Most of these 111 people weren't involved with what happened,'' he said, referring to the Thai Rak Thai executives who were barred.
The politicians who are considered not involved in the wrongdoings could be granted the amnesty, he said. However the government will propose it to the National Legislative Assembly for consideration and it will be issued as an Act.
Sonthi said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont supported the idea.
The government and NLA will jointly decide which executives should be given the amnesty.
Election Commission Sodsri Satayatham said the verdict could not be reversed by the courts.
However, she said the ban could be lifted by a Cabinet decree that is also approved by the National Legislative Assembly _ the interim Parliament installed after last year's coup." The Nation
What can one say - Only in Thailand!
In an expected move, Council of National Security's chief Gen Sonthi Bunyaratglin said CNS support an idea to grant amnesty to executives of now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party, whom the Constitutional Tribunal banned them of voting rights for five years.
The Constitutional Tribunal disbanded on Wednesday Thai Rak Thai party of exiled prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and banned all 11 party's executives.
The Tribunal based its bans on the executives on the CNS's orders issued after the coup d'etat that ousted Thaksin last year.
Sonthi said the CNS supported the amnesty wanted to promote reconciliation in the country.
"Many sectors in Thai society have called for the amnesty to be granted to the banned politicians. We, the CNS, viewed that the idea is in accordance with the ways of reconciliation," he said.
``Most of these 111 people weren't involved with what happened,'' he said, referring to the Thai Rak Thai executives who were barred.
The politicians who are considered not involved in the wrongdoings could be granted the amnesty, he said. However the government will propose it to the National Legislative Assembly for consideration and it will be issued as an Act.
Sonthi said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont supported the idea.
The government and NLA will jointly decide which executives should be given the amnesty.
Election Commission Sodsri Satayatham said the verdict could not be reversed by the courts.
However, she said the ban could be lifted by a Cabinet decree that is also approved by the National Legislative Assembly _ the interim Parliament installed after last year's coup." The Nation
What can one say - Only in Thailand!