Nuttawut challenges Suthep, Abhisit to live televised debate

Nuttawut, secretary-general of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), said he would be joined by UDD chairman Jatuporn Promphan. If Abhisit has not fully recovered from his broken collarbone, he can assign another Democrat to team up with Suthep, he said.

The debate could be held today if Suthep dares to accept the offer, he said. Suthep had asked the UDD to send a representative to a forum on whether the country should be reformed before an election is held, he said.

"So, I would like to invite Suthep to a TV debate for the people to consider the rationale of both sides.

The people will see clearly how the PDRC's measure to appoint an unlawful prime minister and the UDD's democratic way are different," he said.

After the debate, both sides may set a way to show their force |and public support, he said. "I hope Suthep will not turn down my invitation because he has challenged us several times. He must be brave till the end. If he agrees, I'll wait for him," he said.

Regarding speculation that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was monitoring and commanding the political fight in Thailand from Luang Prabang in Laos, Noppadon Pattama, Thaksin's legal adviser, said the report was made up and Thaksin was still in Dubai.

Thaksin's opponents have been telling lies on a daily basis and deceiving the public into believing there was such a thing as a "Thaksin regime", he said.

"The Thaksin regime does not exist. We have only a democratic regime in which any qualified person can volunteer to work for the people no matter what surname he or she has," he said.

Although Suthep swore in front of King Prajadhipok's Statue that he would take back the ruling mandate from the Thaksin regime and return it to the people, the PDRC leader would do otherwise, he said.

Suthep was instead trying to steal state power for his PDRC through an "undemocratic" plan to appoint a non-MP prime minister, he said.