Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a phone call to the meeting of Pheu Thai Party MPs yesterday, saying the timing was good for the red-shirt movement to accept the prime minister's offer of political reconciliation.
But Thaksin quickly added it would be up to the red-shirt movement itself as to whether it should accept the offer of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Close aide, Noppadol Pattama, hooked Thaksin up to the Pheu Thai meeting at 1 pm. Reporters were also allowed to ask questions.
Abhisit announced his road map to peace and political reconciliation Monday night, saying he would hold a general election on November 14.
"It's up to the red shirts whether to accept the PM's offer. It has nothing to do with me," Thaksin said.
"Everything's far beyond me now. I'm just a little piece in the red-shirts' movement."
Thaksin also noted that someone might write a script for the prime minister to read, especially on the third factor of the road map.
The third factor states that the mass media, while remaining free, must have mechanisms that prevent igniting hatred and causing political conflict.
Thaksin said yesterday he is now in good health and he saw Coronation Day as a good time for reconciliation.
"I'm in good health. Tomorrow is an auspicious day so it will be good if we can have reconciliation," Thaksin said.
He said he hoped his phone call would end the rumours he had died.
"Now that I've called my party, I hope they won't say it's fake voice again this time," Thaksin said. His critics said his earlier phone call to The Nation Group might be an impersonation.
He said underground bookies gave the odds of him being already dead at 5:1.
He said he is still in good health: "I'm just getting older. I still weigh the same as when I was PM. My hair is not falling out yet."
During his interview with The Nation he said he might return to Thailand this year. During his phone-in to the party, he explained "I just echoed an astrologer's prediction when I said I would come back before yearend."