Pheu Thai: Yingluck Won't Step Down

By Khaosod English.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra shows her new air cast for her injured foot as she arrives at the Office of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, 27 March 2014

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party leaders have denied the rumours that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been ordered by her influential brother to step down from her caretaker position.

According to a number of media reports, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto helmsman of the ruling party, will remove Ms. Yingluck and replace her with a more "acceptable" figure from one of the coalition parties in order to defuse the ongoing political crisis.

Anti-government protesters led by People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) have been calling for Ms. Yinglick's resignation for months through prolonged campaigns of street demonstration and occupation of major landmarks in Bangkok.

Ms. Yingluck has repeatedly refused to step down, citing the Constitutional requirement that a caretaker cannot resign until the new Parliament is formed.

However, when reporters asked Ms. Yingluck as she arrived at the Office of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence - where her temporary office is housed, whether she will step down from politics in some way, the Prime Minister refused to provide any reply and excused herself from the journalist crowd.

Her refusal to address the rumours fueled the speculation that a deal has been reached among Mr. Thaksin's inner circle to appease the anti-government protesters by sacrificing Ms. Yingluck's caretaker position.

But other top leaders of Pheu Thai Party adamantly dismissed the allegation. Mr. Noppadol Pattama, legal adviser and a close aide to Mr. Thaksin, said he has talked to the former leader earlier this morning on phone, and he was assured that Mr. Thaksin had no intention to remove his sister from the position.

"It is completely untrue," Mr. Noppadol told reporters, "What's more important is that the Prime Minister has done nothing wrong at all. She came to power via an election. She was elected with the majority of the votes ... She has already declared her intention to fight on the path of democracy and the Constitution to the last second".

Nevertheless, Mr. Noppadol refused to say whether Ms. Yingluck will be registered as the leading candidate for Pheu Thai Party in the next general election, stating that it is too early to determine the matter now, but insisted that Pheu Thai executive committee has every rights to decide who gets to run in its Party List.

Mr. Noppadol also claimed that the rumours might be fabricated to discredit Pheu Thai Party.

According to Mr. Noppadol, Mr. Thaksin has personally expressed his concern over these "false information". "For example, this morning there was rumour that Mr. Thaksin had a fatal accident, which is not true, as he is alive and well in Dubai," Mr. Noppadol said, "This is part of the attempt to sow confusion and chaos. I urge all Thais to carefully consider the news each day".

Mr. Samart Kaewmeechai, Pheu Thai's executive of the northern region, echoed Mr. Noppadol's remarks, insisting that no leading official in Pheu Thai Party ever contemplates forcing Ms. Yingluck to step down.

"The rumours have been deliberately fabricated, and I don't know what they want by doing this," Mr. Samart said.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1395904218

-- Khaosod English 2014-03-27

Step down?

In these shoes?

With this injured foot?

I don't think so.

Jump before you are pushed...

It was only a few weeks ago that she was ordered to stay by "You Know Who"

Step down?

In these shoes?

With this injured foot?

I don't think so.

When does she have the plaster of P cut off ??? torn ligaments only last 2 days, and 1 day in a wheelchair the next on a waste dump site.

I have to put in these smiley's as it was unreal.

Sorry for the slight sprain.

On topic after having to answer the above post. Yingluck cannot now step down she has gone too far in stupidly thinking she would be re-elected quickly.

Edited March 27, 201412 yr by ginjag

Nahh why should she step down? She may be useless and ineffectual but she still has Shinawatra blood and big brother isn't going to let anyone without the Shinawatra name and bloodline occupy the position he worked so hard to pay for.

" The rumours have been deliberately fabricated. "

Somehow this sentence doesn't sound very convincing coming from Pheu Thai. Compounding the irony is that this sentence is also published by Khaosod - who have had their own august history of fabrications. The rumours ( aka complete fabrications ) of Nattawut are simply the latest in a string of Pheu Thai/UDD tactics to control the narrative. So it is rather hypocritical to say the very least.

One point in this article single handedly dispels the rumors that yingluck is the true leader of the PTP.

"and he was assured that Mr. Thaksin had no intention to remove his sister from the position"

There you have it, not that it was in any doubt who the true leader was. This goes against some that adamantly defend yingluck as the leader.

So to get this straight we have an accused mass murderer, accused terrorist, unelectable, convicted criminal fugitive that heralded the coup in 1992 running a party that preaches to the PDRC and DEMS about elections. To reiterate thaksin is unelectable. To reiterate the PTP is guilty of voter fraud in parliament. WOW. Talk about hypocrisy.

I am sure that even if yingluck is abdicating the puppet role then now is not the time to do it and they will of course deny it. When the timing is right then they will release this information. Don't forget the PTP wrote the rule book on showing a lack of transparency so this comes as no surprise.

Edited March 27, 201412 yr by djjamie

''he was assured that Mr. Thaksin had no intention to remove his sister from the position''.

I thought Thaksin Shinawatra was a fugitive facing jail time and possible further trials for crimes committed in Thailand.

I must be wrong, because clearly these folks believe that he has the power to appoint and dismiss Prime Ministers at will.

.... surely this couldn't happen in a true Democracy?

"According to Mr. Noppadol, Mr. Thaksin has personally expressed his concern over these "false information". "For example, this morning there was rumour that Mr. Thaksin had a fatal accident, which is not true, as he is alive and well in Dubai," Mr. Noppadol said, "This is part of the attempt to sow confusion and chaos. I urge all Thais to carefully consider the news each day".

Why would people be worried what thaksin did and why would it be confusing to anyone but core ptp/reds, who else really gives a sh*t abou him how often are they talking to him to relay all this info. They try to deny thaksin is behind what they do but cannot go a day without consulting with him, the only people making the ptp look stupid and inept are the ptp themselves......

Correct. She will not step down, just hide.

Of course Ms. Yingluck will not step down. She has said many times that the law doesn't allow her to even though she would do any thing to help move Thailand forward. She's even willing to die for Thailand.

Of course with having hurt her foot terribly she still isn't stepping much

As if Yingluck is actually the crux of the problem. She is just the momentary focus.

It is the fact that Thaksin controls who is his puppet running the country

that is the true problem for the nation.

' Thaksin will appoint someone else as PM' , says it all.

Until that state of affairs is ended the fighting will never stop.

Then she can just get 'stepped on' so to speak.

I recall the warrior in the chair recently said she'd die fighting for democracy; wait, never mind that, she isn't democratic.

The last time Yingluck stepped down she tore a ligament.

I think that the rule of thumb is: if Noppadol says yes, the real answer is no. If he says no, the real answer is yes. So I guess that Yingluck is being replaced. Interesting.

Step down?

In these shoes?

With this injured foot?

I don't think so.

When does she have the plaster of P cut off ??? torn ligaments only last 2 days, and 1 day in a wheelchair the next on a waste dump site.

I have to put in these smiley's as it was unreal.

Sorry for the slight sprain.

On topic after having to answer the above post. Yingluck cannot now step down she has gone too far in stupidly thinking she would be re-elected quickly.

it was just a misunderstanding that they brought her to the waste dump site And how did she come back?

I think that the rule of thumb is: if Noppadol says yes, the real answer is no. If he says no, the real answer is yes. So I guess that Yingluck is being replaced. Interesting.

Maybe he is lying by telling the true, knowing that everyone will think the opposite of what he said.

The last time Yingluck stepped down she tore a ligament.

She certainly hasn't shown any ability to be able to step up to any challenges that have arisen, he default settings are either to a) pass the buck to someone else deny any knowledge and state "I come from election", or her recent personal favourite c) cry.

A three trick pony, that says thank you three times.

She certainly needs to take more care when stepping down from vans.

Good liuck Yingluck, sod em all

Is that a Burberry wheelchair?

Is that a Burberry wheelchair?

I was hoping it was a newly patented 'Cliff rider' series. Let's push it off a cliff and see if it rides,flies or falls. After all, we were led to believe pigs fly since 2010; maybe she can too if we are to follow PTP stories.

Edited March 27, 201412 yr by gemini81

Why is her right arm a black sleeve and the left a blue. ????

designer wheel chair, with silk tartan upholstery / seating . Why one EVEREST climbing boot.????

Is that a Burberry wheelchair?

I was hoping it was a newly patented 'Cliff rider' series. Let's push it off a cliff and see if it rides,flies or falls. After all, we were led to believe pigs fly since 2010; maybe she can too if we are to follow PTP stories.

Believe me. If you were to follow PTP in a Thai way, for sure you'd be very successful and wealthy.

Somehow, my heart tells me you are not a dishonest man.

With Abby in a sling and her legless they do seem a bit accident prone, must be all this mindfulness on the needs of others.

Step down?

In these shoes?

With this injured foot?

I don't think so.

When does she have the plaster of P cut off ??? torn ligaments only last 2 days, and 1 day in a wheelchair the next on a waste dump site.

I have to put in these smiley's as it was unreal.

Sorry for the slight sprain.

On topic after having to answer the above post. Yingluck cannot now step down she has gone too far in stupidly thinking she would be re-elected quickly.

They really are a bunch of soft c**ks......we've got Yingluck with a ski boot and wheel chair....for a week now.....she'll probably be asking for millions in compensation now.......

Now Abhisit in hospital..probably the IC unit, with a <deleted> broken collar bone....none of them can stand up properly!

Step down, stand down, fall down, kicked down, kicked out, is out. The ''lady'' demands more respect for her station in life. These whistles, offers of debate, threats to her and hers, etc must cease.

She needs time and understanding in making a decision as this is another new experience for whiich she was unprepared.

No matter what or how. The Sae Khun clan (their real name which I shall use from now on, as they only got this new name in 1938) will never let go of the strangle hold on this country. THEY are the elite, they and their close circle make money on everything in this country. If the farmers not get paid, they need to borrow from (chinese descent) loan sharks at ridiculous rates. It s a vicious circle. Step down. Suthep can cease. Provide a new constitution. Make a new election law that is fair. Make it impossible for corrupt parties to start over again with another name. And Thailand might have a chance.

A post containing incorrect/false information and continued comparisons to 2006 has been removed as well as the replies. Off topic anyway.

The way things are looking, she won't need to step down.