Rally 'not just to woo voters'

Pheu Thai, reds to issue statement; Democrats want to explain their side of last year's events at Ratchaprasong

The ruling Democrat Party is ready to face the consequences of its plan to rally at Ratchaprasong and express its views on the bloody military crackdown last year, irrespective of whether it is good or bad for its voting results, party strategist Korbsak Sabhavasu said yesterday.

"It would be fine if the people gave their votes to No 1 [Pheu Thai Party] after listening to our side of the story," Korbsak said. "If they agree with us, vote for No 10."

"The winner sets up the government while the loser becomes the opposition, that's the rule of the game," he said.

The party needed to explain its side of the story and voters have the right to know the truth before casting their ballots. Many people directly involved in the incident, such as Jatuporn Promphan and Natthawut Saikua are Pheu Thai Party candidates, he said.

The party insisted on taking the stage at the former battlefield of the red shirts, although political critics and the opposition Pheu Thai Party expressed concerns of possible violence and a deepening of the national divide.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai and 111 banned former execs of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai will issue a statement today while the red shirts will hold a press conference about the proposed Democrat rally.

Red-shirt leader Thida Thavornset had earlier urged her followers not to be present at Ratchaprasong on the day to avoid violence which may be sparked by provocative Democrat speeches.

The Election Commission (EC) gave the green light to the Democrats to go ahead with their plan to rally at Ratchaprasong tomorrow.

The commission would not issue any warning to the party as the party had the right to speak, but it should be aware of the legal framework and a commitment made by all political parties not to ignite any violence, EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said.

Another EC commissioner, Wisut Pothithan, said in a democratic society everybody must have tolerance for each other. The commission does not need to warn anybody as all are mature people, he said. "As long as it is not against the law, everybody could do whatever they wanted," Wisut said.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he welcomed relatives of six dead rescue staff members to listen to the Democrats' explanations on the bloody incident. The six were killed in Wat Pathum Wanaram temple while providing medical assistance to injured protesters in May last year.

"If they listen to the other side of the truth, they would get a better understanding of the situation," he said. "I'm ready to exchange opinions with the relatives," he said.

The Democrats and Pheu Thai are accusing each other of causing the bloody incident.

The Democrats accuse the opposition of supporting the red-shirt group setting fires in the capital, while Pheu Thai and the red shirts accuse Democrat leaders of ordering the military crackdown that killed dozens of protesters.

Democrat spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks verbally clashed with Pheu Thai's Natthawut over the Democrats' Ratchaprasong plan in a television show yesterday. Buranaj said his party had aimed to extinguish the flames while Natthawut said the government should have used its heart to extinguish the fire, not saliva.

The red shirts have used the bloodshed to antagonise the Democrats almost everywhere during the election campaign trail.

Abhisit, in the deep South yesterday, faced a challenge from a Pattani resident who displayed a poster that said "He is only good at talking".

The Democrat leader yesterday pleaded with his supporters to use social media to mobilise votes for the party as there remained no way to win against the Pheu Thai.

"There are only 50 seats from the South - but we still cannot compete with them in the North and Northeast, so please use all kinds of media you have - Twitter, Facebook, mobile phone to tell voters in the North and the Northeast to vote for us to move the country forward," Abhisit said.