Thai PM accuses rivals of hidden agenda
Thailand's embattled premier on Thursday lashed out against his opponents three days ahead of a key election, accusing them of talking of reconciliation as a "cloak" to bring back his arch-rival. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party campaign is struggling to match the appeal of the opposition Puea Thai, unofficially led from abroad by Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted from power by a military coup in 2006. Puea Thai's main candidate for the top job is Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who has discussed an amnesty for convicted politicians to bring reconciliation to Thailand -- which could pave the way for her brother's return. "Reconciliation is now being used as a cloak for amnesty for Thaksin so far as Puea Thai is concerned. That is not right," Abhisit told AFP in an interview at the Democrat headquarters in Bangkok, ahead of the pivotal vote on Sunday. "We think it's unfair to the Thai people for a political party to place Thaksin's interests before the people's or the country's." The controversial Thaksin lives abroad to escape a jail term imposed in absentia for corruption, and is also wanted on terrorism charges. Since his ouster, a series of street protests by rival groups have rocked Thailand, culminating in two months of mass rallies last year by his "Red Shirt" supporters that left more than 90 people dead in clashes with the army. Political newcomer Yingluck is widely considered to be her brother's political proxy and she has taken the lead in the polls, but Abhisit remained defiant. "The latest published polls may have us behind, but we are convinced that the momentum is behind us and we've had tremendous responses in the last couple of weeks, so we're confident," he said. The Democrats took power in 2008 after judicial rulings threw out previous Thaksin-allied administrations, and Oxford-educated Abhisit is accused by critics of being an unelected puppet of the military and the establishment. In a bid to reverse his flagging fortunes ahead of the vote, Abhisit has turned up the heat on his rivals, calling on voters to "get rid of the poison of Thaksin" during a rally at the site of last year's crackdown on the Red Shirts. "When you enter into a race there is always a possibility of a defeat but we have a few more days," he told AFP. "It's not time to think about it."
