Opposition no-show hinders Thai poll talks

FE Team | Published: April 23, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

BANGKOK, Apr 22 (AFP): Talks between Thailand's quarrelling political parties on a roadmap to elections following months of deadly political turmoil ended with no breakthrough Tuesday after the opposition pulled out at the last minute.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is pushing for new polls as soon as possible to bolster her precarious position in the face of a series of legal threats that could force her from office.
The kingdom has been without a fully functioning government or parliament since December, and a general election held in February was voided after opposition demonstrators disrupted voting.
The nation has been shaken by months of political violence that has left 25 people dead and hundreds wounded, including many anti-government protesters, in grenade attacks and shootings.
The Election Commission (EC) called the talks to discuss a new election date with political rivals including the main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the last round of voting.
But a day after describing the talks as "the most opportune time to put aside our party views", Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva announced shortly before the meeting began that he would not be going.
"I will not attend the meeting because of security," he told AFP without specifying the nature of the concerns. "No one from the Democrats will attend."
Representatives of more than 50 other political parties joined the talks, according to election officials.
On the eve of the meeting, Yingluck's Puea Thai Party decried a "conspiracy" by her opponents to thwart new polls.