BANGKOK (Reuters) - A national referendum proposed by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to end a political crisis in Thailand was dismissed by critics on Friday as a stalling tactic that would resolve little and simply prolong the unrest.
Leaders of the three-month-old campaign in Bangkok to oustSamak have already said their protests, including the 11-dayoccupation of the prime minister's official compound, wouldcontinue.
Late on Thursday a gunman on a motorcycle fired shots at agroup of about 100 students marching to protest at Samak'shome, wounding two of them, police said, although theydescribed the shooting as an isolated incident and said thecity was calm.
The campaign to force Samak out has been mostly peaceful,but one man was killed and 45 wounded in clashes earlier thisweek between pro- and anti-government groups, prompting theimposition of emergency rule to give the army powers tointervene.
Samak announced the referendum on Thursday but it is notknown what questions will be put to Thailand's 65 millionpeople. For procedural reasons, it is unlikely to be heldrapidly.
"The decision to hold the referendum, which would take atleast one month to implement, may result in the country'scrisis dragging on even further. Besides, the government wouldhave to ensure peace and social order in the country until theday of the referendum," the Nation newspaper said in aneditorial.
"The referendum is simply a desperate attempt by the Samakgovernment to buy more time in office," it added.
Parliament has to pass a referendum law first and theSenate has not started its reading yet.
Senate President Prasobsuk Boondej told reporters onThursday he did not believe a vote was the way to end thecrisis. "The current situation needs an immediate solution todefuse it. We can't afford to wait for the referendum law topass," he said.
The anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD),a mainly middle class group of royalists, academics andbusinessmen leading the occupation of Samak's compound, hascalled the plan a delaying tactic to keep Samak in office.
The PAD accuses Samak of being an illegal proxy for formerpremier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a 2006 coup and now inexile in London. Thaksin is widely admired by the poor and inthe countryside but despised by Bangkok's middle class.
Samak has refused to step down or call a snap election butthe PAD has said it will not give in until he goes.
The United States voiced support for the government onThursday but said it hoped emergency rule would not drag on andurged both sides to refrain from violence.
"We hope the Thai government will be able to limit theduration and extent to which it implements the emergencydecree, to the extent necessary to restore the authority ofThailand's democratically elected government," White Housespokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Despite the imposition of emergency rule, the army hasrefused to use force to evict the protesters, saying it wouldonly make the situation worse.
Besides the referendum, analysts say various otherscenarios are also possible, including Samak calling a snapelection as a last resort, or caving in to the protesters andresigning.
Another possibility is revered King Bhumibol Adulyadejintervening. Such a move would be unlikely to favour thegovernment, even though it would be couched in nuanced terms,espousing the need for national harmony and stability.
(Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Ed Cropley and DavidFox)
