Embattled Thai Premier Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday skipped her appearance before an anti-graft body over charges related to a populist rice-pledging scheme, even as she shot down anti-government protest movement’s conditional talk offer to end ongoing political deadlock.
The charges relate to the controversial rice subsidy scheme that paid farmers above the market price and has run out of funds, adding to Yingluck’s woes as farmers demand their money. The charges sparked speculation of her ouster if the anti-graft body delivers a ruling against her.
Meanwhile, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who since weeks has been refusing to hold any form of talks with the Government, on Thursday offered to hold one-on-one talks with the caretaker premier on the condition that this is beamed live.
The 46-year-old Premier faces an impeachment vote in the Upper House of the Parliament and a possible five-year ban from politics if convicted.
Yingluck, who is currently working from her stronghold in northern Thailand, has said she would assign her legal team to acknowledge charges related to the scheme slapped on her by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
Meanwhile, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who since weeks has been refusing to hold any form of talks with the government, today offered to hold one-on-one talks with the caretaker premier on the condition that this is beamed live.
I am “ready to sit down and talk with Yingluck but this has to be one-on-one and broadcast live on all television channels”, Suthep told his supporters at a rally. Yingluck, who shot down Suthep’s offer within a few hours, told reporters she wants to know whether Suthep is ready to hold talks under the framework of the Constitution or not.
“Moreover is Khun Suthep ready to halt the protests so that the election can proceed according to the principles of democracyIJ” asked the prime minister. With the political impasse continuing with no solution in sight, caretaker foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has urged the UN to mediate in the escalating political conflict in the country.
Attacks over the weekend have left five persons, including four children, dead and injured several others.
Surapong, who is also deputy prime minister and chief adviser to the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order, said he telephoned UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon seeking his advice on how to resolve Thailand’s political impasse.
Since November 2013, 70 attacks against the protesters have resulted in 20 deaths and 720 injuries.
Thousands of protesters led by Suthep, a former opposition Democrat Party MP, have been holding rallies across Bangkok calling for Yingluck’s government to quit. The opposition also boycotted the February 2 snap polls.
The protesters accuse Yingluck of acting as a proxy for her fugitive brother, former premier Thaksin who was ousted in a coup in 2006. He lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai to escape a jail term on a corruption conviction.