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| Thai crowds gather for exiled PM | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Thailand's ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to address thousands of supporters, from exile, at a rally in a sports stadium in Bangkok. | |
| The crowd will see a recorded film, but a live phone address may be cancelled. | The crowd will see a recorded film, but a live phone address may be cancelled. |
| Mr Thaksin, whose whereabouts are unclear, has been in self-imposed exile since August after being convicted of breaking conflict of interest rules. | Mr Thaksin, whose whereabouts are unclear, has been in self-imposed exile since August after being convicted of breaking conflict of interest rules. |
| It comes two days before parliament is to vote for a new PM to succeed his brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat. | It comes two days before parliament is to vote for a new PM to succeed his brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat. |
| Mr Somchai was forced to resign by a court ruling earlier this month. | Mr Somchai was forced to resign by a court ruling earlier this month. |
| The court found his party, the People Power Party (PPP), guilty of fraud during the last election a year ago, and banned it and two other parties in the governing coalition. | The court found his party, the People Power Party (PPP), guilty of fraud during the last election a year ago, and banned it and two other parties in the governing coalition. |
| They have now regrouped under new names, but the opposition People's Alliance for Democracy says it has won over enough defectors and unaligned MPs to lead the new government. | They have now regrouped under new names, but the opposition People's Alliance for Democracy says it has won over enough defectors and unaligned MPs to lead the new government. |
| Opposition protests | Opposition protests |
| An estimated 40,000 people filled the stadium on Saturday afternoon, police said, ahead of Mr Thaksin's planned address. | An estimated 40,000 people filled the stadium on Saturday afternoon, police said, ahead of Mr Thaksin's planned address. |
| Mr Thaksin remains strongly supported in Thailand, where his party - or parties affiliated with his political organisation - continue to perform well in elections, especially in rural areas.The opposition's choice for PM says he is confident of forming a government | Mr Thaksin remains strongly supported in Thailand, where his party - or parties affiliated with his political organisation - continue to perform well in elections, especially in rural areas.The opposition's choice for PM says he is confident of forming a government |
| He was expected to address the crowd live by telephone sometime after 2000 local time (1300 GMT), after a pre-recorded video was shown. | He was expected to address the crowd live by telephone sometime after 2000 local time (1300 GMT), after a pre-recorded video was shown. |
| But one organiser told the Associated Press news agency the live phone conversation would not now go ahead. | But one organiser told the Associated Press news agency the live phone conversation would not now go ahead. |
| Mr Thaksin was expected to use his address to criticise the Democrats, who one rally organiser said had used the army to win over support for their choice of prime minister. | Mr Thaksin was expected to use his address to criticise the Democrats, who one rally organiser said had used the army to win over support for their choice of prime minister. |
| The Democrats, who were defeated in the last general elections in December, will propose to parliament that Abhisit Vejjajiva becomes the next prime minister. | The Democrats, who were defeated in the last general elections in December, will propose to parliament that Abhisit Vejjajiva becomes the next prime minister. |
| "What the military leaders have done contradicts the will of the Thai people in backing Abhisit to be prime minister," Jatuporn Prompan told the AFP news agency. | "What the military leaders have done contradicts the will of the Thai people in backing Abhisit to be prime minister," Jatuporn Prompan told the AFP news agency. |
| The new prime minister will be the country's fifth leader in a little over two years. | The new prime minister will be the country's fifth leader in a little over two years. |
| Thailand has been in political deadlock for months as anti-government protesters have mounted a campaign to remove the governing party. | Thailand has been in political deadlock for months as anti-government protesters have mounted a campaign to remove the governing party. |
| They accused the PPP of being a proxy for Mr Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. | They accused the PPP of being a proxy for Mr Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. |
| The protest culminated in a week-long occupation of Bangkok's main international airport that left 300,000 foreign tourists stranded. | The protest culminated in a week-long occupation of Bangkok's main international airport that left 300,000 foreign tourists stranded. |
| The opposition called off its action after the recent decision by the constitutional court to disband the PPP. | The opposition called off its action after the recent decision by the constitutional court to disband the PPP. |