Thai army chief denies coup rumors

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Thai army chief denies coup rumors

2011-07-01 06:49:08 GMT+7 (ICT)

BANGKOK (BNO NEWS) -- Thailand's army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday dismissed rumors of a possible coup after the July 3 election, Thai News Agency MCOT reported.

Prayuth urged politicians not to try to drag the military into politics and denied rumors that the military will stage a coup if the opposition Pheu Thai party, which is controlled by fugitive ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, wins the general election.

"Rumour is rumour", he said. "The army will do its duty to let the country move forward on democratic path. Just days ahead of the general election, please do not bring the military into politics."

Prayuth also denied a report that Wattana Muangsuk, a close aide of Thaksin, and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan came up with a solution that the Pheu Thai party will be permitted to form a new government on the condition that it must not take revenge against the military leaders who were involved in the 2006 coup that toppled then prime minister Thaksin.

Gen Prawit also denied the report that he met with Wattana. "I never met him [at all]. I think the report was intended for the political gain of a particular party as I am a defense minister in command of the military," he said.

Thailand's National Police Bureau on Tuesday put 25 provinces nationwide under close watch before the general election. In addition, it will deploy 100,000 police officers to guard more than 90,000 polling stations nationwide.

Thailand will hold a general election on July 3, after the king endorsed a royal decree to dissolve the lower house of parliament last month.

The opposition candidates who will face off against incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva include Yingluck Shinawatra, whose older brother is Thaksin.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has encountered both political conflicts and economic problems during its tenure. Last year, the Red-shirt supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship held a 69-day demonstration in an effort to topple his government. Protesters clashed with police, leaving 92 dead and more than a thousand injured.

This is the 12th Thai government that ends with the dissolution of the House. The last dissolution took place in 2006 when fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra announced the move following the pressure from the yellow-clad People's Alliance for Democracy.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-01

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