Anti-government protesters continued their rally and occupation in the Government House although Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat announced to lift the emergency decree in Bangkok on Sunday, 12 days after it was imposed by the former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
The lifting takes effect from Sunday, said Somchai in a statement, citing that the emergency decree would further affect people's life and cause economic losses to the country, and that no major violent incidents has happened since the decree was imposed, which meant the situation has improved and made a state of emergency unnecessary.
Somchai said that political uncertainties in the recent past had already brought the kingdom negative impacts socially and economically.
He urged all parties to solve their "conflicts of ideas" and reach reconciliation in form of dialogue within the framework of law and democracy in order to improve the situation.
The caretaker prime minister did not make a demand for the anti-government protesters organized by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who have seized and occupied the Government House in central Bangkok since Aug. 26, to disperse, though.
The PAD had demanded Samak and his whole cabinet to resign and pushed for its so-called "new politics" concept, which want a major part of the parliament members to be appointed rather than elected, to be imposed.
However, the army chief maintained on no use of force in efforts to remove the PAD protesters, who continued their rally and occupation in the Government House.
After violent clashes broke out before dawn on Sept. 2 between pro-government demonstrators and PAD protesters on the streets of Bangkok, Samak declared a state of emergency over Bangkok hours later, and assigned Army Chief Anupong to be in charge of the imposition.
After Samak was disqualified by a Constitutional Court verdict on Tuesday which found him in breach of the charter by hosting TV cooking shows while in office, first Deputy Prime Minister Somchai was appointed as acting prime minister to head the caretaker government.
The House of Representatives on Friday postponed a scheduled vote on a new prime minister until next Wednesday after the PPP split over whether to re-nominate Samak, while other five coalition parties also voiced opposition to the choice of Samak.
Samak later declined the offer.
Somchai is now deemed among the three favorite candidates for the prime minister post by the PPP, which is set to announce its decision on the final choice on Monday and now lobbying coalition partners to accept its choice.
Although the emergency decree was lifted, the PAD on Sunday vowed to carry on anti-government rally at the Government House.
Two core leaders of PAD, Chamlong Srimuang and Somsak Kosaikul, held a press conference on Sunday morning, saying that the emergency decree has caused damage to the country in many aspects, but it was not the PAD's fault.
They also made it clear that the PAD will not accept the three top tipped candidates of PPP for the premiership -- including caretaker PM Somchai, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, caretaker Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat, or anyone from the current caretaker government led by PPP.
They have vowed to continue their demonstration until the current administration steps down and it becomes certain that no other "proxy" of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra runs the country.
Source: Xinhua
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