Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has defended the recent meeting between her father, former prime minister Thaksin, and core members of governing coalition parties, saying that it did not necessarily mean that the parties were being dominated or influenced by Thaksin.
She said that they might have engaged in informal talks on various non-political issues, because they have known each other for a long time and have developed close relationships.
She also claimed that it is impossible for Thaksin to dominate political parties, because each has its executive committee which has the final say on issues that concern the party.
Then she asked reporters whether, if she had dinner with former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, it would be interpreted as her being influenced or dominated by Srettha.
Yesterday, the prime minister was mobbed by reporters asking her about the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to accept a petition demanding the dissolution of her Pheu Thai party and its six coalition partners, for allowing themselves to be influenced or dominated by Thaksin over the appointment of his daughter Paetongtarn as prime minister, after Srettha was removed from office by the Constitutional Court for appointing an ex-convict to a ministerial post.
The prime minister said that the government is ready to cooperate with the EC in the investigation and claimed not to be at all concerned.
The prime minister hosted her first informal dinner meeting with the core members of the other six coalition parties at a Bangkok hotel yesterday. She said that they discussed a host of issues, ranging from the amnesty for political offenders to coordination among the parties on constitutional amendments.
