Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday he would consider stepping down temporarily, but continued his political parries against opponents who demand he resign for alleged corruption and abuse of power.
Thaksin, who denies any wrongdoing, did not say when, or for how long, he might step down.
He made his comments in northeastern Thailand while campaigning for elections he called for April 2 in hopes of refreshing his mandate and deflating the growing movement against him.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission said it was considering a postponement of the election because of an opposition boycott.
Many constituencies have only one candidate -- from Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party. But his victory would not be certifiable if he failed to win the votes of at least 20 percent of the district's eligible voters. That would make it impossible to fill the 500 seats in the House of Representatives, a constitutional requirement for convening parliament.
Thaksin met yesterday with Luangpor Koon, a popular Buddhist monk in the region, a move traditionally made by virtually all politicians seeking to attract northeastern voters.
Thousands of Thaksin supporters from the northeast -- a stronghold of his support -- gathered on the outskirts of the Thai capital, Bangkok, to demonstrate their loyalty to the Thai leader.
They said, however, they would not enter the city, where there would be a risk of confrontation with anti-Thaksin demonstrators.
Critics have suggested that Thaksin step aside before the polls and appoint a neutral replacement to oversee proposed reforms to the Constitution, a move that would help defuse the growing protests.
When asked by a reporter what he thought of stepping aside, he said: "It is a good proposal, and I am considering this."
"This does not mean that I would bow to mob rule. I have to take some time to consider and decide what to do, because I have a duty to complete my mission," he told reporters in Buriram Province.
Thaksin's statements came amid speculation that he already has designated a replacement, Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit, who on Tuesday was unexpectedly promoted to the No. 2 position in the Cabinet. Chitchai, in charge of security affairs, is a longtime, trusted associate of the Thai leader.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
RSS