Opposition victory rallies after Thaksin steps down

Opponents of outgoing Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gathered today to celebrate their victory in forcing the Thai leader to step down, and to make plans for purging the next government of his legacy of alleged corruption and undemocratic rule.

In temperatures touching 36 degrees Celsius in late afternoon, over a thousand people, some wearing T-shirts and headbands with anti-Thaksin slogans and sheltering from the sun under umbrellas, gathered to hear protest leaders talk about the next stage of their struggle.

The rally in a field near Bangkok’s Grand Palace, called by the People’s Alliance for Democracy – which organised mass protests for almost two months before Thaksin agreed to step down – was expected to draw thousands and continue into the early hours of tomorrow.

The alliance billed the event as a victory celebration, coming just three days after Thaksin announced he was taking a break from politics and would not serve in the next government. He also appointed a caretaker premier to carry out his duties in the meantime.

“I came to protest, to call for the prime minister to clear out of his position – to pull out his roots and not leave any remains of the Thaksin regime,” said Juabsiri Rattanapratom, who travelled 600 miles with a dozen friends from the southern province of Songkhla.

As the celebration began, the main opposition Democrat Party warned Thaksin to honour his pledge to “rest” and not “pull strings” from behind the scenes in the new government or he would face further popular protests.

Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, in an interview with a local radio station, warned that if he “still uses his power, interfering with various matters ... that could be risky because that would mean he would have power above the prime minister.”

“Thaksin cannot be involved in the leadership of the country, otherwise his break from politics will be pointless,” said protest alliance spokesman Parnthep Pourpongpan.

Thaksin announced on Tuesday that he would step down following a Sunday election that his Thai Rak Thai – Thai Love Thai party – won, but which drew an opposition boycott and millions of abstentions as protest votes against him.

Thaksin appointed Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit, a close colleague, as acting prime minister until a new government can be formed. Thaksin said he was not formally resigning, but just taking a leave of absence.

Chitchai said today that whoever the new prime minister would be, he would not be Thaksin’s proxy. “Everyone has his own honour and dignity.”

Since Chitchai is not a member of Parliament, he is legally unable to hold on to the top job when the body meets to name Thaksin’s successor. But with control of Parliament assured following Sunday’s general election, Thai Rak Thai still gets to name the next prime minister.

Press reports today said factions within Thai Rak Thai, as well as a number of leading businessmen, favoured Somkid Jatusripitak, the current deputy prime minister and commerce minister.

Somkid, 52, has long been entrusted with directing economic policy for Thaksin. However, he suffers from health problems and may not want the job.

Thaksin has vowed that his party will continue pursuing the policies that characterised his five years in power.

His critics, however, want to jettison his policies promoting privatisation, free trade agreements and a CEO-style administration. Thaksin, who denies any wrongdoing, also has been accused of corruption, cronyism and mishandling a bloody Muslim insurgency in southern Thailand.

Thaksin’s party received 51% of the popular vote in the 398 constituencies, while 33% of the ballots were abstentions, with the “no vote” option marked.

New polls have been scheduled for April 23 in 39 constituencies where a winner could not be certified because voter turnout was too low.

With the opposition pledging to boycott by-elections, it raises the possibility that not all seats in Parliament will be filled within the legally required 30-day time limit, which could stall the formation of a new government.