Thaksin urged to study democracy
Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra should study democracy and stop attacking the Democrats for boycotting the April 2 election, a Democrat Party deputy leader said yesterday.
Jurin Laksanawisit said Thaksin's call on the Democrats to respect democracy demonstrated the caretaker premier's lack of understanding. As democracy can be viewed in terms of content, as well as in terms of form, Thaksin's administration couldn't be considered fully democratic, he said. "Thaksin shouldn't lead people to [misunderstand] the Democrat Party," he said. "I think Thaksin's system [of government] was to blame, instead. Otherwise, media organisations wouldn't have come out to protest against media harassment . . . and 'dark forces'. That was Thaksin's system of harassing democracy." He denied accusations by Thai Rak Thai Party members that the Democrats were behind the "People Who Love Songkhla" group that last Sunday blocked candidates from smaller parties from registering for the April 23 by-election by laying siege to the local election office. He said people could think for themselves and realise the danger of Thaksin's system of administration if they followed what happened in Thai politics. Yossawadee HongthongThe Nation
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