Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
Former Thai PM supporters gather for rally
By GRANT PECK,Associated Press Writer AP - 2 hours 19 minutes ago
BANGKOK, Thailand - Politics returned to the streets of Thailand on Saturday as pro-democracy activists and supporters of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra gathered for a rally ahead of Parliament's selection of a new prime minister.
Thousands of Thais were streaming to a stadium in central Bangkok to hear a speech by the self-exiled former prime minister, to be delivered by phone. Organizers said they would also show a video Thaksin had prepared, but refused to say where he would be calling from.
The event is seen as a last-ditch effort by Thaksin and his followers to rally support ahead of Monday's session of Parliament to elect Thailand's new leader.
Previous Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was forced to step down earlier this month, when a court dissolved the pro-Thaksin People's Power Party for fraud committed in the December 2007 election that brought it to power.
Two rival parties claim they have enough support to form a government and select the country's next leader, and intensive behind-the-scenes maneuvering has been taking place to woo legislators not tied to either side.
Thailand's Democrat Party _ which has been in opposition to the Thaksin camp since 2001 _ says it has enlisted enough lawmakers from other parties to form a parliamentary majority and name its leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister.
Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks expressed confidence that Oxford-educated Abhisit would emerge as the country's leader. He said Thaksin made daily calls over the past week to former supporters who had defected to the Democrats but was unable to persuade them to return.
Thaksin is expected to rally support for the Phuea Thai party, comprising most politicians from the disbanded People's Power Party and its predecessor, the Thai Rak Thai party, Thaksin's ruling party from 2001 until he was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power.
Phuea Thai members claimed Friday they had enough backing in Parliament to elect former national Police Chief Pracha Promnok, leader of the allied Puea Pandin party, as prime minister.
The new leader will be Thailand's fifth prime minister in a little more than two years. The country has been disrupted by months of protests by an anti-Thaksin alliance that occupied the prime minister's office from late August until last week.
The alliance last week also abandoned its week-long occupation of Bangkok's two airports _ which stranded upward of 300,000 travelers _ after Somchai, who is Thaksin's brother-in-law, was forced out of office.
The protest alliance has also injected itself into the battle for the premier's job, on Friday threatening new action if Parliament elects a new prime minister that it finds unacceptable.
It said it "opposes any proxy prime minister from the Phuea Thai Party and any prime minister from a political party that is part of a coalition involving the Phuea Thai Party, which is a newly established proxy political party of the Thaksin regime."
Thaksin fled Thailand in August. In October, a Thai court sentenced him absentia to two years in prison on conflict of interest charges.
Thaksin told his supporters at a Nov. 1 rally that he had been persecuted by his political enemies, and that there was nothing that could allow him to return "except for the king's mercy or the power of the people."
Thaksin, a former telecommunications magnate, is still supported by many in the impoverished countryside because of his populist policies while in power.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (1 vote)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Daughter of Myanmar ex-dictator releasedAP - 24 minutes ago
US, Afghan forces kill 6 militantsAP - 45 minutes ago
Protester killed during voting in Indian KashmirAP - 1 hour 12 minutes ago
Pachuca beat Al Ahly 4-2 in extra timeAFP - 1 hour 50 minutes ago
Protester killed during Indian Kashmir votingAP - 1 hour 52 minutes ago
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
US carmakers mull options as White House vows aid
US Senate fails to reach deal on auto bailout
Autism, other disorders linked to post-natal factors: study
Muslim pilgrims stone Satan at the hajj
Sarcasm finds medical use in dementia detection
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular