Thai PM: Referendum may be held on amnesty idea

BANGKOK, April 26 -- A national referendum may be held on the proposal of amnesty to banned politicians, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday.

"The process may require a public referendum to be carried out first," Abhisit said in his weekly TV address, referring to the proposal of a grant amnesty for political offenses, which the prime minister said has yet to be discussed among political parties.

He reiterated, however, that criminal offenses must not be covered under the plan, which practically rules out the possibility of the convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's amnesty.

Thaksin, who was ousted in September 2006 by a military coup, now lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a two-year jail term on the charge of power abuse.

Key lawmakers earlier had voiced support for the idea of a general amnesty for all 220 banned executives of political parties dissolved since the 2006 coup, although some parliamentarians and members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) remain opposed to it, saying it is inappropriate to lift the ban for Thaksin's allies from politics after they were found guilty of electoral fraud.

Peerapan Palusuk, MP from the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, said on April 21 that his party would respond favorably to Abhisit's call for a charter rewrite and amnesty to pave way for the political reconciliation of Thailand.