Rallies spring up in defence of Pita, MFP

Activists call for senators to resign

Groups of protesters supporting Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat as the nation’s 30th prime minister have sprung up in numerous places in Bangkok this week.

This occurred after parliament rejected Mr Pita’s second bid for the premiership and the Constitutional Court’s decision to suspend him as a member of parliament pending its deliberation of his iTV shareholding case.

The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, the Talugas Group and the Student Organisation of Thailand announced on their Facebook pages their plan to hold rallies today and on Sunday.

Today’s planned gathering will begin outside Kasetsart University’s auditorium at 5pm and then again at 7pm outside the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC).

The People Assembly Reforming Thailand and its allies yesterday kicked off an 11-day campaign in support of a “democratic government” starting at the Pathumwan intersection.

Sombat Boonngam- anong, a political activist, posted on his Facebook page a call for another gathering on Sunday at the Asok intersection from 5pm to express moral support for Mr Pita and the MFP. He invited Mr Pita to attend.

The People Movement for a Just Society (P-move) also issued a statement condemning what it described as attempts to destroy democracy and obstruct a consensus reached by 14 million voters in the May 14 general election for the MFP to lead a new government.

The organisation also called on senators to resign en masse and for all pro-democracy movements to come out to demonstrate their opposition against “distorted democracy”.

Meanwhile, Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, a list-MP and leader of the Seri Ruam Thai Party, has urged the MFP to break away from the eight-party alliance first to make way for Pheu Thai to win the prime ministerial vote.

Seri Ruam Thai is a member of the prospective eight-party coalition.

Pol Gen Sereepisuth described this as a sacrifice to support the alliance’s goal of forming a coalition.

The MFP could return as a coalition partner later, he said.

“As a senior enough person here, I’d like Pheu Thai and the MFP to think twice if they will continue contending for the premiership together, because if a new candidate fails the vote again, there won’t be a second chance for him,” he said.