As of 2pm yesterday, the party which led the government before the 2014 coup, had not received an invitation letter that the reconciliation preparation committee claimed to have been sent to every party registered with the Election Commission, said its acting secretary Phumtham Wechayachai yesterday.

“I have contacted our administration staff as well as senior figures – the leader, deputy, leader, and the members of the executive board – and none of them has received an invitation,” Phumtham said.

It was surprising that an issue as big as reconciliation was not being taken seriously, the acting secretary said.

“I don’t know what the problem is or whether there are any mistakes, but [Pheu Thai] would like to see a clear invitation letter so that the senior members could discuss the matter as soon as possible,” he added.

The Democrat Party, the oldest party in the Kingdom, is scheduled to attend reconciliation talks today.

Chart Pattana expresses opinion

Abhisit Vejjajiva, Democrat leader and former prime minister, said he would discuss the current political conflict and conflict resolution through non-violent means.

Other parties that have joined the talks in the past week include Chart Pattana led by Suwat Liptapanlop on Wednesday and Chart Thai Pattana led by Theera Wongsamut yesterday.

The discussions, chaired by Defence Ministry permanent secretary Chaichan Changmongkol, have taken place behind closed doors. The Defence Ministry has said it would only hold a press conference twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, to divulge the issues brought up at the meetings.

Suwat, leader of Chart Pattana Party which attended the reconciliation talks on Wednesday, said yesterday the party had proposed that politicians and political parties should find common ground for coexistence once suspension of activities by political parties ended.

Centred around respecting the election and the Westminster style of government, Chart Pattana proposed key points to prevent future conflicts.

He said every party should contest elections and not boycott them; everyone should follow election laws and regulations; support should be for good and capable people who will propose policies in elections; accept and respect the voters’ decision; once a new administration takes over, both the government and the opposition must perform their roles constructively; political parties must work together to solve any conflicts; in case of conflict, solutions must be found in parliament.

Suwat also expressed confidence that the National Council for Peace and Order could bring about reconciliation because it had plans based on studies and political parties’ collaboration.

However, the veteran politician was not certain whether an election would be held this year.