Red shirts call rally to protect govt

Red-shirt demonstrators will hold a big rally in Ayutthaya province on Tuesday to protect the government, Weng Tojirakarn, a Pheu Thai MP and a leader of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) says.

The rally is planned for Ayutthaya to prevent any confrontation with anti-government protesters in Bangkok. 

Red-shirt supporters called off their week-long rally at Rajamangala National Stadium on Sunday following clashes with Ramkhamhaeng students the night before. 

The UDD called a fresh gathering after anti-government leader Suthep Thaugsuban said on Tuesday that he wanted to invoke Section 7 of the constitution, which would lead to the installation of a royally appointed prime minister and cabinet. 

Section 7 states that whenever no provision under the constitution is applicable to any case, the case shall be decided conventionally under the constitutional monarchy. 

Dr Weng yesterday said Mr Suthep had to be "insane" to cite Section 7 of the charter to demand a royally appointed prime minister to replace a legally elected government.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the royal appointment of a prime minister under Section 7 that Mr Suthep proposed was impossible because the constitution required a prime minister to be elected by MPs.

"If Mr Suthep and his associates want a people's council or a royally appointed prime minister under Section 7, there may have to be a coup and the charter revoked. 

"As far as I am concerned, people's councils only exist in communist countries," Mr Prompong said.

Mr Prompong said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will neither resign nor dissolve the House and Pheu Thai MPs will meet today to discuss the political situation, after Mr Suthep announced he will escalate his anti-government protest.

Source: bangkokpost