Thai protesters renew efforts to oust PM after renouncing democracy

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/22/thai-protesters-renew-efforts-oust-yingluck

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Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators again massed at sites around Thailand's capital on Sunday in a bid to topple prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra before an election in February the main opposition party will boycott.

Yingluck has called a snap poll for 2 February to try to cool tension and renew her mandate, but protesters reject any election until the implementation of vague reforms ostensibly aimed at weakening the influence of the Shinawatra family.

The political deadlock became more uncertain on Saturday when the opposition Democrat Party, Thailand's oldest, announced it would boycott the election, saying the democratic system had failed Thais.

The boycott adds to concern that powerful forces allied with the opposition would try to scuttle an election that is otherwise likely to return Yingluck's Puea Thai Party to power, and perpetuate the influence of her self-exiled brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Chanting "Yingluck, get out", thousands of whistle-blowing protesters gathered at locations around the city and set up stages in at least four places, bringing traffic to a halt at three main intersections and in two commercial districts.

Hundreds surrounded Yingluck's house and demanded she quit. Yingluck, now caretaker premier, is not in Bangkok and has been visiting the north-east, her party's stronghold.

The protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, a former Democrat heavyweight, wants democracy suspended and the installation of an appointed "people's council".

"I don't know what Yingluck is thinking," he said. "But what I know for sure now is that all civil servants, the army the police have realised all Thai people are rising up against the government," Suthep told Blue Sky, an anti-government cable television station. <br />Suthep has earned a reputation for fiery rhetoric during nightly speeches in which he has told police and civil servants to report to him, promised to retire to the beach and issued deadlines to army leaders to meet him to discuss ousting Yingluck.

On Friday the Election Commission ruled out postponing the vote, having earlier said it was concerned the polls could be marred by violence.

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