Former coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin has voiced readiness to help advance democracy by contesting the next general election in his present capacity as the leader of Matubhum Party.
Sonthi also backed the government's road map for reconciliation, saying he saw it as the key to overcome the social divisions.
"The fostering of national reconciliation is nececessary under the circumstances because the situation can only be solved through talks, in which each side is willing to be flexible for the country's sake," he said yesterday.
He said he was concerned about the persisting volatility of the political situation because of deep-rooted differences and social disparity which could be exploited to inflame the situation.
The volatility is expected to dissipate if the government succeeds to rally the people to join the reconciliation process, he said.
Commenting on Thaksin Shinawatra, whom he ousted from power in 2006, he said the reconciliation would hinge on the concerted efforts of parties concerned rather than on a single individual.
He conceded, however, that Thaksin had a vital role to play in mending fences.
Sonthi also urged the government to shelve its plan to reopen the investigation into more than 1,200 silence killings related to the war on drugs under the Thaksin administration. He argued that this might be wrong timing.
Regarding the red-shirt movement, he said a repeat of the unrest or a resumption of protests could be prevented if the authorities strictly enforce the law.
Under the prevailing sentiment, the red shirts could not muster the public support to build an underground movement, he said.
Turning to his party work, he said the ties between Matubhum and Puea Pandin were already close and that he would welcome Puea Pandin MPs if they wanted to adopt his party's banner for their re-election bids.