The Council for National Security (CNS) yesterday agreed to lift a ban on political activities and the registration of new parties and will propose the matter to the Cabinet for discussion at its meeting today.

Speaking after a three-hour-meeting of the CNS, spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said junta chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin would propose legal procedures to lift the ban to the Cabinet.

The junta's Announcements No 15 and 27, issued shortly after the military coup in September last year, bar politicians from conducting any political activities and from setting up new political parties.

"We agreed to allow political parties to resume their activities in order to give them a chance to present themselves as political choices to the people ahead of the general election," Samsern said.

The junta will not intervene in any political activities and will allow parties to have full political freedom, he added.

"We believe the people have sound political judgement. It's up to the parties to offer them attractive and useful policies," he said.

Members of the Thai Rak Thai party might not benefit from the lifting of the ban as they won't be able to conduct political activities in the party's name following its dissolution by the Constitution Tribunal last week.

Samsern said Sonthi would propose two legal alternatives for lifting the political ban: the Cabinet could either propose a bill to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which would take time, or issue a resolution to lift the ban immediately.

The decision will be left to the government and the National Legislative Assembly, Sansern said.

A CNS official said that another option would be for at least 25 members of the NLA to propose a bill of their own to lift the CNS ban.

Sonthi will append reports on the current political situation, including an assessment of the ongoing anti-junta protests, for the Cabinet to consider along with the proposal to lift the political ban. The junta has estimated that 10,000 people at most would join the anti-junta protest, Samsern said.

He will also propose a campaign for the national referendum on the new constitution to the Cabinet, the spokesman said.

The junta's move follows Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's promise last week following the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai that the ban on political activities might be lifted soon in order to improve the political atmosphere.

Meanwhile, National Legislative Assembly speaker Meechai Ruchuphan warned yesterday that repealing Announcement No 27 would result in doing away with the five-year ban from elections handed down by the Constitution Tribunal.

"It's like issuing a new law that benefits the wrongdoers," said Meechai, a legal expert.

Justice Minister Charnchai Likhitjittha said yesterday that an order issued by coup makers was tantamount to a law, so repealing one would require an Act to be passed, not simply a Cabinet resolution.

"To my understanding, the prime minister's statement that a Cabinet resolution could revoke the CDR announcement wasn't correct," he said, referring to the CNS by its former name - the Council for Democratic Reform.

"He probably meant that once the idea is approved by the Cabinet, it must be proposed to the National Legislative Assembly to revoke the announcement," Charnchai said, adding Surayud had not discussed the matter with him as yet.

About 30 former Thai Rak Thai members led by Pongthep Thepkanchana yesterday called on the government to lift the political ban to enable them to register a new party.

Also, political parties needed sufficient time to prepare for the general election scheduled for December, the group said.

Pongthep insisted the appeal was made in the public interest rather than for the benefit of the 111 party executives who were banned from assuming political posts for five years.

The group also submitted a petition to the Election Commission, asking it to cooperate with the government in lifting the ban.

Panya Thiewsangwan,

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation