Charter support fuels rift rumours

       Whip thumbs nose at Chalerm's boycott The opposition chief whip has joined his government coalition and senate counterparts in pushing ahead with proposed amendments to six areas of the constitution, raising speculation of a rift in the Puea Thai Party.
       Opposition whip Witthaya Buranasiri yesterday confirmed Puea Thai's support for the constitution amendments despite a boycott announced by Chalerm Yubamrung on Wednesday.
       He said the party remained committed to an agreement with the government and the senate whips in addressing the six points recommended by a special parliamentary committee on national reconciliation and charter amendments.
       Mr Witthaya played down Mr Chalerm's remark that the party was withdrawing its support for the charter rewrite, saying it was meant to strengthen commitment of the three whips towards constitution amendments.
       "It is a political technique and nothing more. The opposition whips have discussed the matter and agreed to stick to its previous decision," he said.
       However, the opposition chief whip said the party maintained its stance against holding a public referendum on the charter changes. He said if a referendum was to be called it should ask the public to choose between the 1997 charter and the 2007 constitution.
       A source in Puea Thai said Mr Witthaya and Mr Chalerm were exploiting the charter amendments to battle for control of the party, which was set to undergo structural changes before the next elections.
       Mr Witthaya reportedly set his sights on becoming the party's secretary-general and tried to prove himself using the charter amendments.
       Mr Chalerm was quick to grab the opportunity to undermine Mr Witthaya after ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra phoned in and warned the party not to dance to the Democrat Party's tune.
       "Mr Witthaya did what he did today to save his face but he has made it clear he is not in for a referendum as suggested by Thaksin," the source said.
       According to the source, some Puea Thai MPs were upset with Mr Witthaya and considered him "too soft" on the Democrat Party.
       Thaksin yesterday called on the government to abandon its plan to hold a referendum in a Twitter message.
       He said the public stood to gain nothing from the charter rewrite and especially from the proposed referendum which would cost the country 2billion baht.
       People's Alliance for Democracy coordinator Suriyasai Katasila yesterday said the group would go ahead with its planned mass rally as soon as the charter amendments were under way.
       He said the issue of a charter rewrite was being politicised by the government and the opposition and used as a bargaining tool.
       The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship will hold a rally on Sunday at the Democracy Monument to mark the promulgation of the 1997 constitution which was abolished by the 2006 coup.
       UDD leader Nattawut Saikua said the red shirt movement would declare its stand on the issue of charter amendments and kick off a campaign to seek the removal of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
       Mr Abhisit stressed yesterday that a public referendum was a viable option which would help steer the country towards reconciliation.
       He said the government had explored ways to manage differences and concluded that a referendum was the best way.
       "The coalition, the Senate and the opposition do not totally agree with each other but they have reached a common ground," he said.
       Meanwhile, government chief whip Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said the legal affairs offices of the House of Representatives and the Senate would draft two versions of charter amendment bills.