Reply #13: Thai protesters want election called off [View All]

[Algorem]

http://www.newstoday-bd.com/international.asp?newsdate=3/31/2006

BANGKOK, Mar 30: Thousands of Thai protesters marched on the offices of the country''s election commission Thursday demanding the last-minute cancellation of this weekend''s polls, reports AFP.
The latest protest in two months of political turmoil followed a Bangkok sit-in overnight that drew around 50,000 people onto the streets calling on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to step down before Sunday''s vote.

"This is a very critical moment. Only people power can force Prime Minister Thaksin to quit," rally leader Chamlong Srimuang told the crowd, which waved banners calling the commission members "political criminals."...

Thaksin seems guaranteed to win the vote, which he called three years early in hopes of ending the street protests calling for his resignation over allegations of corruption and abuse of power...

Public anger erupted in January after Thaksin''s family pocketed nearly two billion dollars in the tax-free sale of its stake in Shin Corp, the telecoms giant Thaksin founded before entering public office.