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Reuters: Thai PM pressured as army chief calls for polls?


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This UK perspective is quite extensive/useful for the ones with bad memory LOL :)

 

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6390TR20100412?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FUKWorldNews+%28News+%2F+UK+%2F+World+News%29&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=11700

 

"By Nopporn Wong-Anan and Ambika Abuja

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's army chief called on Monday for early elections, adding to pressure on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva whose party may face prosecution over funding activities.

 

The call came after weekend protests left 21 dead and 800 injured and although there was no violence on Monday, protesters circled the capital and still occupied their bases in Bangkok, one near a major shopping centre.

 

"The current issue now is about dissolution of parliament, so my understanding is we just need to dissolve the House. But how long it will take before the house dissolution, that depends on the result of the negotiations," Thai army chief Anupong Paochinda told a news conference.

 

Abhisit himself has said he could dissolve parliament by the year-end, a move that has not satisfied "red shirt" protesters, supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who want him to quit immediately and leave the country.

 

Thailand's Election Commission added to pressure on Abhisit when it ruled that his Democrats Party could face prosecution over funding irregularities, cheering anti-government protesters who marched in Bangkok after a weekend of violence.

 

Although the proceedings in the Supreme Court could take months, if a prosecution is launched, a similar measure was used to oust the government backed by Thaksin in 2008.

 

"Red shirt brothers are celebrating because this could lead to the end of the Democrats Party," activist Mattawut Saikua told reporters as tens of thousands chanted "Abhisit, get out."

 

The weekend protests triggered a selloff on Thailand's stock market and the prospect of further political uncertainty and more violence shocked investors who had pushed billions of dollars into Thailand. Continued... (read on via the link - 3 more pages...)

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The GDP slumps because of the trouble.

 

Violence affects Thailand's debt rating

 

The credit ratings agency Fitch said today that it was "particularly concerned'' about the local currency rating of Thailand after weekend clashes between security forces and protesters resulted in 21 deaths and more than 800 injuries.

 

The government is expecting to post a budget deficit of 3.8% of gross domestic product this year, more than double that of Indonesia, [color:red]after posting a deficit of more than 5% of GDP in its fiscal year to Sept 30, 2009.[/color]

 

"We expect a deterioration in public finances of Thailand, given the escalated political uncertainty. We are particularly concerned about the local currency sovereign rating of Thailand,'' said Vincent Ho, associate director of Fitch's Asia Sovereign ratings unit in Hong Kong.

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(It slumped last year because they knew this was coming) :doah:

 

 

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Who said anything about revival? You're putting words into my mouth. :nono::nono:

 

But I will say it now. Yes, true. A recovery is a fragile thing and easily fucked up. Investors are skittish and will run easily. So yes, a recovery does have something to do with good fiscal policies.

 

The sheep mentality will cause the slump, government policy be damed.

 

So laugh all you want, that's reality in any country.

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Getting back to the original topic of this thread:

 

a. Tuesday 13th April - is anything happening? Are the Red Shirts still occupying Rajaprasong? You would not know anything by looking at Thai TV.

 

b. PM is being hung out it seems. Time for him to fire the Army chiefs, Police chiefs, then resign to let someone else take over the mess. It isn't fixable now for the Democrats after yesterday's EC ruling.

 

c. Happy Songkran!

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