THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY students campaign yesterday in an effort to collect at least 50,000 signatures to start impeachment proceedings against Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra.

Lecturers and students from five universities yesterday stepped up pressure on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to resign, citing alleged abuse of authority and malfeasance.

The five universities are Thammasat, Ramkhamhaeng, the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Silapakorn and Chulalongkorn. Their moves come a day before Sondhi Limthongkul stages a further gathering tomorrow to try to oust Thaksin.

Thammasat University Student Union (TUSU) president Thanachai Sunthornanantacha said Thaksin lacked legitimacy to run the country because of rampant abuse of power and nepotism in his administration. He cited the law change to allow foreign investors to hold shares in the telecom sector.

TUSU representatives will meet the Senate Speaker today about launching an impeachment against Thaksin, which requires a petition signed by 50,000 people. Thanachai said his group preferred to help oust Thaksin via the legal process.

Chulalongkorn lecturer Chaiyan Chaiyaporn said deans of political science from five universities would brainstorm at Thammasat next week on the move to oust Thaksin.

At Silpakorn University, a group of 77 lecturers yesterday signed a statement demanding the prime minister step down. They said Thaksin has abused the principles of the Constitution and the people’s spirit [written in the charter].

They accused him of abusing power by exploiting laws to support his family and business network, destroying press freedom and disrupting independent bodies’ work.

“The latest case is the tax-free Bt70-billion share transaction that showed a lack of good spirit by the leader. Therefore, we have no other alternative but to demand you [Thaksin] resign”, they said.

At Ramkhamhaeng University, 10 lecturers signed a notice demanding Thaksin’s resignation, saying he lacked morality and integrity and was leading the country to ruin. They said Thaksin’s government’s policies created wealth for the leader, his family and friends.

At NIDA, 500 students and lecturers put their signatures to a call for Thaksin to go, following the controversial Shin Corp sale to Singapore-based Temasek.

Assoc Prof Thaweesak Suthakwathin said Thaksin had violated the Constitution by tampering with the checks-and-balance mechanisms in independent agencies and using the wrong methods to handle the crisis in the South, which had led to heavy loss of life and national resources.

Thaweesak said students attacked Thaksin for his lack of ethics over the Shin Corp sell-off despite claims it was legal. Thaksin had also violated the public’s right to know about the furore by blocking media reports on the anti-Thaksin movement, he said.

Kornchanok Raksaseri,

Puangchompoo Prasert

 The Nation