Thai Rak Thai members, however, said politics had not ground to a halt as people still welcomed party leader Thaksin Shinawatra to head the government.

Before Thaksin delivered his speech at Sanam Luang yesterday, Thai Rak Thai deputy party leader Pongthep Thepkanchana, Democrat Party executive member Sathit Wongnongtoey, Chat Thai Party deputy secretary-general Nuttavood Prasertsuvan and Mahachon Party deputy leader Parn Pungsujarit attended a meeting at The Nation's office.

Pongthep said the political system would be back on track after the election as all parties involved could take part in the work of reform.

He did not think the door had closed for small parties challenging Thai Rak Thai, even though the former opposition parties have boycotted the election.

"When Thai Rak Thai competed for the first time in 2001, we were new and had no MPs. But when we proposed our policies, people trusted us. Political parties have their ups and downs, it's normal," he added.

Parn argued that it was not true to say that Thai Rak Thai was completely new as some of its MP candidates were veteran politicians from other political parties.

He said nobody should blame the parties boycotting the election, as it was their constitutional right to do.

"If not fielding an MP candidate is illegal, who was the first to do that in the by-election in Satun last year?" he said, referring to the Thai Rak Thai's decision not to contest the by-election.

Parn said Mahachon's former MPs had no parliamentary duties at the moment. All they had to do was explain to the people why they were boycotting the general election. Sathit said the former opposition parties were snubbing the election because they did not accept the rules placed by Thaksin, who tends to make people think they have only two choices: Thaksin or the rest.

He said the problems and conflicts dogging society would remain after the election, and the next government should think what to do about probing the alleged irregularities surrounding Thaksin during the last government. They also have to consider the 1997 Constitution, which contains loopholes that can be exploited by politicians.

"It's like today, when Thaksin got people to think only about the House dissolution and the election, saying he was broad-minded but the others were bad kids," Sathit said.

Pongthep said the House and the judicial branch would play important roles in restoring justice, and acting as a checking mechanism on the administrative branch of government.

However, neutral people must be the core of political reform, not politicians as people fear they would want to profit from reforms.

Nuttavood said Thaksin had missed the chance to be a statesman, but it was not too late for him to say he would not head the next government.

The 374 Thai Rak Thai MPs, which ruled the House in the previous administration, can take part in the reform process if they are sincere about doing so, he added.

Thaksin should also put back the general election to a later date, talk to the former opposition parties and get them to take part in the postponed polls, he said.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation