Thai PM visits Privy Councillor president
Written by Writer on Sunday, October 5th, 2008
Thai PM visits Privy Councillor president
Piyanart Srivalo and Hassaya Chartmontri
The Nation (Thailand)
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat called on General Prem Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council, at the latter’s Sisao Thewet residence yesterday evening.
The prime minister said he met Prem because he considered him “a senior figure who serves as a good example for the country.
“I respect him and have faith in him. So I sought his advice after assuming new office. I consider this a good beginning,” Somchai said. However, he declined to discuss further details about his meeting with Prem.
“He showed his kindness to me and his advice is useful for the country,” Somchai said.
When asked if this meeting would lead to any positive development in the ongoing political crisis, Somchai said it would depend on the public how they viewed it.
“I have become prime minister, but I am not strictly a politician. I have a background as a permanent official. I will stick to the principles of law and I will take care of poor people,” said the premier.
“I don’t intend to play politics and I don’t think this is a political game. Sometimes I don’t want to talk about politics. It’s a never-ending topic,” he said.
When asked if he had talked about the People’s Alliance for Democracy with Prem, Somchai said he simply paid his respects to him and did not talk about “serious issues”.
However, he declined to answer a question whether ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra was mentioned during yesterday’s meeting.
The PM was accompanied by his secretary-general Choosak Sirinin and ACM Sumet Phothimanee, the chief of staff at the Defence Ministry, who was a classmate of Thaksin at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School.
Somchai arrived at Prem’s residence at about 5.45 pm and left at 6.30 pm. Prem personally saw him off.
Prem was smiling while saying goodbye to his VIP guest.
After his meeting with Prem, the PM left for Chiang Mai for an annual ceremony to pay respects to his ancestors.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh hinted yesterday that the People’s Alliance for Democracy would leave Government House soon.
Chavalit said he expected “things to be all right” when asked if there would be good news after the new government made its policy statement.
The Cabinet of Somchai Wongsawat is set to deliver its policy statement before Parliament next week.
Chavalit yesterday met Prime Minister Somchai for over an hour. He said he had informed the PM about his talks with Chamlong Srimuang, one of the PAD’s core leaders, about an attempt to end an ongoing political conflict. Chavalit said he would meet Chamlong again in a day or two.
“The government and I agree with the general view of the public that peace has to be restored as soon as possible. I believe this view is also shared by the PAD,” Chavalit said.
“I believe the PAD also shares our concern for public interest,” he added.
The deputy premier said he believed there would be progress in his talks with Chamlong, whom he described as “lovely”.
“Things will be all right. Let’s see things with an optimistic view,” Chavalit said.
Prime Minister Somchai yesterday chaired a meeting of relevant state agencies about the current situation, including the PAD’s rally.
The PM said that he listened to suggestions from those agencies about how to address the matter.
He said the PAD’s seizure of Government House was raised during Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat’s meeting with delegates from other Asean member states on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Somchai said Asean states were concerned that Thailand’s image was at stake for failing to enforce the law against those involved in the seizure. He said that for other Asean states, it was embarrassing for the Thai government to have to move out of its office after the seizure.
The PM said Chavalit was negotiating with the PAD for it to move out of Government House. He declined to predict when the attempt would succeed, saying that “it had been overdue a bit now”.
BY : ASIA NEWS NETWORK
