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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Thaksin demands end to 'meddling' | Thaksin demands end to 'meddling' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Thailand's ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for an end to "interference" in Thai politics. | Thailand's ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for an end to "interference" in Thai politics. |
| His demand - apparently a reference to senior military and royalist figures - was made in a video message to a party rally at a Bangkok sports stadium. | His demand - apparently a reference to senior military and royalist figures - was made in a video message to a party rally at a Bangkok sports stadium. |
| Mr Thaksin is in self-imposed exile after being convicted of breaking conflict of interest rules. | Mr Thaksin is in self-imposed exile after being convicted of breaking conflict of interest rules. |
| Parliament is voting on Monday for a new prime minister to succeed his brother-in-law. | |
| Mr Somchai Wongsawat was forced to resign by a court ruling earlier this month. | Mr Somchai Wongsawat 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 Democrat Party 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 Democrat Party 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 address. | An estimated 40,000 people filled the stadium on Saturday afternoon, police said, ahead of Mr Thaksin's address. |
| Those people who interfere in forming the government must stop and withdraw Thaksin ShinawatraEx-prime minister Speakers poured scorn on the defectors who have given the opposition Democrat Party its first shot at forming a government in eight years. | |
| In a pre-recorded video address, Mr Thaksin demanded that those forces which he said had been meddling to undermine the government led by his allies should stop. | In a pre-recorded video address, Mr Thaksin demanded that those forces which he said had been meddling to undermine the government led by his allies should stop. |
| The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says this was a thinly-veiled reference to senior military and royalist figures who have been backing Mr Thaksin's opponents. | |
| Plans for a live telephone link to the rally were abandoned at the last minute, organisers said, and our correspondent says Mr Thaksin's address failed to live up to expectations. | |
| Thaksin sends message to supporters | |
| He spoke of his sadness of being stuck in exile and over recent events in Thailand and talked of Thai society being stabbed in the back. | |
| He condemned the outside forces, presumably the army and figures close to the palace that had meddled to bring down free governments led by him and his allies, our correspondent notes. | |
| But Mr Thaksin made no attempts to win back the defecting MPs and - assuming they stand firm - the Democrats should win enough votes in Monday's special session of parliament to form the next government. | |
| 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. |
| The new prime minister would be the country's fifth leader in a little over two years. | The new prime minister would 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. |
| Our correspondent says that after months of turmoil, Thailand is now just days away from a new government that just might be able to cool the political atmosphere. | Our correspondent says that after months of turmoil, Thailand is now just days away from a new government that just might be able to cool the political atmosphere. |