DHAKA: Thailand’s military offered on Sunday to help the politically polarised country hold a ‘fair and clean’ election next year, suggesting the armed forces may play a role in a vote aimed at ending protests seeking to topple the government.

The idea was raised at a forum organised by the caretaker government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who last week called an election for February 2 to try to defuse protests targeting her brother, ousted ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and his influence on Thailand’s political system.

The protesters, backed by Bangkok’s elite, have rejected the proposed election and want to set up a ‘people’s council’ that would eradicate the influence of the ‘Thaksin regime’ and introduce reforms following a decade of election wins by Thaksin or his allies on broad support from the urban and rural poor.

General Nipat Thonglek, the Defence Ministry’s permanent secretary, said at the forum, ‘The military wants to see the February 2 election. If there are signs that the election will not be fair, the military is ready to make it fair and clean’.

It’s unclear how the military would do that. Gen Nipat did not elaborate, but armed forces chief General Tanasak Patimapragorn said on Saturday he wanted to see the general election take place and that there should be ‘a central panel’ to help educate the public about free and fair elections, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1908 HRS, DEC 15, 2013
Edited by: Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor