Tens of thousands to demand Thai PM quit at rally despite house dissolution
by Boonradom Chitradon
BANGKOK, Feb 26, 2006 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to rally Sunday in the third mass demonstration in less than month to demand Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resign over allegations of corruption.
Thaksin's decision Friday to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections three years early in April failed to appease the protest organisers, who have vowed to continue pushing for the premier to step down.
Thailand's three main opposition parties are expected to announce their boycotts of the April 2 polls late Sunday with local papers quoting opposition lawmakers as saying the snap election lacked legitimacy.
But Thaksin Sunday said his ruling Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party would go ahead with the election.
"Each party has the right to decide on whether to boycott the election or not. But Thai Rak Thai is the party that follows the constitution. We will follow whatever the constitution says," the premier told reporters.
Thaksin will attend a party meeting to discuss the upcoming election, a party spokeswoman said.
The premier already appeared to begin campaigning during his weekly radio address Saturday, hinting at more populist policies such as wage hikes for civil servants and jobs for students.
Analysts see Thaksin's decision to call early elections as a shrewd political maneuver that will likely give the business magnate turned politician a fresh mandate to build on his landslide election victory in February 2005.
But his critics have denounced the move, saying it benefits only Thaksin.
"The root cause of the problem is Thaksin himself. He must quit unconditionally," said Suriyasai Katasila, spokesman for the People's Alliance for Democracy, which is made up of a variety of anti-Thaksin groups.
Suriyasai urged voters to boycott the April 2 polls. "The People's Alliance for Democracy is calling for everybody to reject this election," he said.
"The election will even lead to more chaos in forming government... Thaksin dissolved parliament just to conceal his faults and escape his wrongdoing.
Thailand's biggest opposition Democrat Party, headed by Abhisit Vejjajiva, will also hold a meeting over boycotting the election.
The anti-Thaksin movement gained momentum over his family's 1.9 billion dollar tax-free sale of stocks in Shin Corp -- the telecoms giant he founded before entering politics -- to foreign investors in January.
The Alliance mobilised 50,000 people for a February 4-5 rally in Bangkok in the biggest anti-government protest since Thaksin took office in 2001. A week later, 20,000 people gathered in the capital.
Suriyasai said he expected as many 100,000 people to turn out Sunday as opposition politicians join a wide cross section of Thaksin critics, from student unions to anti-privatisation advocates intent on unseating the premier.
Government authorities admit Sunday's rally could be larger than previous demonstrations and have warned rally organisers to police their own protesters amid fears of violence.
"The police asked the People's Alliance for Democracy to prepare and supervise its own protesters," said Lieutenant General Nawin Singhaphalin, deputy national police chief for special affairs.
Some 4,700 unarmed police officers will be mobilised for Sunday's demonstration, with another 1,200 on standby, officials said, adding that fire engines will be deployed to key government facilities.
One police source who did not want to be named said authorities were concerned over more militant Thaksin opponents who have joined the Alliance, including Chamlong Srimuang, who led bloody demonstrations in 1992 against the military-backed government in which at least 52 people were killed.
Chamlong has vowed to continue demonstrating until his former political protege steps down.
"Police will closely monitor Chamlong's movements since he is the key factor on the ground," the source said.
"He set the condition that he will not give up if Thaksin does not quit... he may employ new tactics to put more pressure to government."
by Boonradom Chitradon
BANGKOK, Feb 26, 2006 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to rally Sunday in the third mass demonstration in less than month to demand Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resign over allegations of corruption.
Thaksin's decision Friday to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections three years early in April failed to appease the protest organisers, who have vowed to continue pushing for the premier to step down.
Thailand's three main opposition parties are expected to announce their boycotts of the April 2 polls late Sunday with local papers quoting opposition lawmakers as saying the snap election lacked legitimacy.
But Thaksin Sunday said his ruling Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party would go ahead with the election.
"Each party has the right to decide on whether to boycott the election or not. But Thai Rak Thai is the party that follows the constitution. We will follow whatever the constitution says," the premier told reporters.
Thaksin will attend a party meeting to discuss the upcoming election, a party spokeswoman said.
The premier already appeared to begin campaigning during his weekly radio address Saturday, hinting at more populist policies such as wage hikes for civil servants and jobs for students.
Analysts see Thaksin's decision to call early elections as a shrewd political maneuver that will likely give the business magnate turned politician a fresh mandate to build on his landslide election victory in February 2005.
But his critics have denounced the move, saying it benefits only Thaksin.
"The root cause of the problem is Thaksin himself. He must quit unconditionally," said Suriyasai Katasila, spokesman for the People's Alliance for Democracy, which is made up of a variety of anti-Thaksin groups.
Suriyasai urged voters to boycott the April 2 polls. "The People's Alliance for Democracy is calling for everybody to reject this election," he said.
"The election will even lead to more chaos in forming government... Thaksin dissolved parliament just to conceal his faults and escape his wrongdoing.
Thailand's biggest opposition Democrat Party, headed by Abhisit Vejjajiva, will also hold a meeting over boycotting the election.
The anti-Thaksin movement gained momentum over his family's 1.9 billion dollar tax-free sale of stocks in Shin Corp -- the telecoms giant he founded before entering politics -- to foreign investors in January.
The Alliance mobilised 50,000 people for a February 4-5 rally in Bangkok in the biggest anti-government protest since Thaksin took office in 2001. A week later, 20,000 people gathered in the capital.
Suriyasai said he expected as many 100,000 people to turn out Sunday as opposition politicians join a wide cross section of Thaksin critics, from student unions to anti-privatisation advocates intent on unseating the premier.
Government authorities admit Sunday's rally could be larger than previous demonstrations and have warned rally organisers to police their own protesters amid fears of violence.
"The police asked the People's Alliance for Democracy to prepare and supervise its own protesters," said Lieutenant General Nawin Singhaphalin, deputy national police chief for special affairs.
Some 4,700 unarmed police officers will be mobilised for Sunday's demonstration, with another 1,200 on standby, officials said, adding that fire engines will be deployed to key government facilities.
One police source who did not want to be named said authorities were concerned over more militant Thaksin opponents who have joined the Alliance, including Chamlong Srimuang, who led bloody demonstrations in 1992 against the military-backed government in which at least 52 people were killed.
Chamlong has vowed to continue demonstrating until his former political protege steps down.
"Police will closely monitor Chamlong's movements since he is the key factor on the ground," the source said.
"He set the condition that he will not give up if Thaksin does not quit... he may employ new tactics to put more pressure to government."
