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Women-only protest to target Yingluck Shinawatra
Sydney Morning Herald - December 18, 2013
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said the walk on Sunday night will be to "ask her to leave her post nicely".
"We will need female volunteers, women only," said Mr Suthep, a former veteran politician and deputy prime minister in the previous military-backed government. "This is between women. The women will give flowers to Ms Yingluck and ask her to have some pride and resign," he said.
Ms Yingluck, who is now caretaker prime minister ahead of elections scheduled for February 2, has repeatedly resisted calls to resign amid weeks of protests that left five people dead and scores injured.
She called the election last week an attempt to defuse the crisis that has paralysed her government following a failed bid in October to pass an amnesty bill that aimed to mimimise the crimes of her billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a divisive figure who is living in Dubai to avoid a two year jail sentence for corruption.
But the country's Election Commission has indicated the poll could be delayed and members of the main opposition Democrat Party cannot agree on whether to participate or boycott it.
There has been fierce disagreement among Democrats who come mainly from Bangkok's middle class and elite and stronghold provinces in the country's south. The party, Thailand's oldest, is seen as unlikely to win the election because of mass support for Ms Yingluck's party in the country's north and north-east.
"There will be no conclusion today as to whether the Democrat Party will run," party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday evening after marathon party talks. "We are tired enough from meeting on other matters."
Mr Abhisit, who was re-elected to the post on Tuesday and former prime minister Chuan Leepai argue it would be undemocratic to boycott the poll but national reform should occur immediately afterwards. They argue a boycott would result in a country without an effective opposition during the four year term of a new government.
However, other party members support Mr Suthep's demand for national reforms before an election and a boycott on February 2. Without these members voting, the party would struggle to retain the seats it won at the last election in 2011, analysts say.
Mr Suthep, a long-time party member and deputy prime minister who quit parliament to lead the protest movement, said he would do everything he could to oppose the February 2 election.
Other protests are planned across Bangkok in the coming days. Mr Suthep's movement wants an appointed 400-member "people's council" to run the country while reforms are implemented.
"I want to make clear we do not oppose an election," Mr Suthep said. "We want it postponed until reforms take place."
The Democrats must decide by December 27 if they want to register to vote. Thailand's powerful military, which has staged 18 coups or attempted coups since the 1930s, has backed the February 2 election, which has been approved by royal degree, but has insisted it would not back any side.
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