POLITICS
New labour, democracy parties urged for next poll
Union leaders, PAD get to work on their agendas
A national labour party and a people's democracy party should be formed to contest the next general election, union leaders and academics said yesterday. "We're formulating our platform to attract supporters," said Kittichai Saisa-ard, deputy leader of the confederation of state enterprise workers. "We're against free-trade agreements and the privatisation of state enterprises. We'll also push for the end to unfair employment contracts," he said. The proposed party will work with academics and non-governmental organisations to further its causes, he said. Somsak Kosaisuk, a leader of the anti-Thaksin movement and a veteran labour activist, is among the candidates to be the party's leader, he said. Manas Kosol, a union leader, who is organising tomorrow's Labour Day activities, said the founding of a labour party will be highlighted during the day's events in Bangkok. "Institutionalising the labour movement as a political party is welcome. Workers will have more solidarity in fighting to protect their rights," Manas said. The proposals for new parties followed Friday's court order calling off the third round of polls scheduled for yesterday, which raised the possibility that the April 2 and related polls could be nullified to pave the way for a new general election later this year. Pichet Pattanachote, the outgoing Nakhon Ratchasima senator, told a seminar held by Mahidol University that key members of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) should push their agenda in the House. "PAD and other civic bodies should join forces to form the party and field candidates for all 400 constituencies. The party's main purpose is to serve as the checks and balances mechanism on the government," he said. People should also join forces to oust the Election Commission members for failing to hold the April 2 election and subsequent rounds in a fair and honest manner, he said. "The Law Society and other bodies will have to file lawsuits against the EC so that we don't have members of this EC supervise the next round of polls," he said.
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