Banharn rebuffs Thaksin
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra failed to gain the support of Chat Thai Party leader Banharn Silpa-archa in his bid to end the opposition's election boycott, a Thai Rak Thai Party official said yesterday.
During his hospital visit on Thursday, Thaksin asked ailing Banharn to rejoin the electoral process and reason with the other two opposition parties, Democrat and Mahachon, to follow his lead."In exchange for the ending of the election boycott, Thaksin offered to delay the April 2 vote for 100 days, freeze his political career for one four-year term and name his ally, Bhokin Bhalakula, as interim successor," the party official said. The official said Banharn had refused to cooperate on the grounds that it was too late to mend fences and reminded Thaksin not to overly rely on his three political cronies Newin Chidchob, Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Padung Limcharoenrat, who he said had given bad advice. Many executives of the ruling party said Bhokin and party executive Somkid Jatusripitak were strong contenders to succeed Thaksin.
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