Anupong is pleased, but will monitor situation

Written by Gunboy on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

WASSANA NANUAM

Gen Anupong Paojinda was relieved by the Constitution Court’s verdicts in the party dissolution cases, a source close to the army leader said yesterday.

The source said the court decision to ban three coalition parties, including the People Power party (PPP), and their executive members from politics for five years, eased the pressure on the army to launch a coup to end the political deadlock.

The source said a coup was unlikely now, and in the event of violent clashes, soldiers would come out of their barracks to maintain peace only.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) would no longer push for a military takeover and it had agreed to end its seizures of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports today.

The army needed only to monitor the red-shirted government supporters to see whether they would strike back, according to the source.Deputy army spokeswoman Col Sirichan Nga-thong said the political tension could be resolved in the wake of the court’s ruling.

She said Gen Anupong instructed First Army chief Lt-Gen Kanit Sapitak to ready troops to maintain peace after yesterday’s annual Trooping of the Colour parade and the taking of the oath of allegiance to mark His Majesty the King’s birthday on Friday.

The instruction was given at a meeting with more than 200 unit commanders at the army headquarters yesterday.

Gen Anupong maintained the army would perform its duties within the framework of the law and this would be the key force in ensuring that the country weathers the current crisis smoothly, the spokeswoman said.

When the country faced a political deadlock between the PAD and the government, Gen Anupong ruled out using force to break it.

Instead he called on then prime minister Somchai Wongsawat to dissolve the House and for the PAD to end its occupation of the two airports.

Bangkok Post
Wednesday December 03, 2008