The Pheu Thai Party will offer former finance minister Olarn Chaiprawat as its choice to be prime minister in the next election.
The party believes the red-shirt leaders will declare an end to their anti-government rally today as the first step in the reconciliation process, set to culminate in the holding of an election on November 14, as promised by the prime minister.
Wisut Chainarun, a Chai Nat MP, said the party wanted someone with economic expertise and a compromising image to lead its candidates for the upcoming election.
Olarn, an economist who was deputy PM in December 2008, and party-list MP Mingkwan Saeng-suwan were qualified, but chief adviser Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai and Chalerm Yoobam-rung, chairman of the party's MPs, were not, he said.
"I don't think Chavalit will go down to play politics as an election candidate, as he will face stiff political opposition. He is more suitable for the post of defence minister," Wisut said.
"Chalerm is strong in legal knowledge but he has a lot of political enemies, so he is not suitable as prime minister in this kind of political situation," he said.
If Pheu Thai won the election, Chalerm should be the Interior minister, while Apiwan would be qualified for Defence minister, not the PM, he said.
Members of fugitive former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's family would not stand for election for fear of attacks by political enemies, he said.
'PROTEST WILL END TODAY'
The red-shirt leaders would today disband their protest because the rainy season had started and protesters needed to go back home to plant rice and take care of their farms, he said.
Many red shirts from Khon Kaen joined the Rajprasong rally on Saturday because the leaders wanted to conclude the protest with a grand flourish, he said.
"Now, red-shirt people from several provinces are travelling to Bangkok to celebrate the end of the demonstration. Both the government and red-shirt leaders want the demonstration called off so reconciliation and peace can take place," he added.
Surapong Towichakchaikul, a Pheu Thai MP from Chiang Mai, said his party wanted Abhisit to confirm that the poll would still be held even if he had to leave office before November 14.
The Democrat Party might be dissolved by the Constitution Court and Abhisit might have to make way for Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai to take over, he said.
"We would like the prime minister to promise that no matter who will replace him as the prime minister, the peace process will go on," he said.
Phetchawat Wattanapong-sirikul, leader of the Rak Chiang Mai 51 group, said the red-shirt leaders would not organise rallies against Democrat candidates if they came to Chiang Mai for election campaigns.
However, red-shirt leaders could not guarantee that the Democrat candidates would not be attacked by the relatives of those injured or killed in the crackdowns on the red-shirt protesters, he said.
Thaksin said he was happy that red-shirt leaders agreed with the peace plan offered by the government, but said he worried that his rivals might not be sincere.
"I fear that it would be only beautiful words, but their heart is not really ready for reconciliation," Thaksin said.
The former prime minister posted a message on his Twitter page at 1am, saying he had arrived in Saudi Arabia from Beirut, Lebanon.