It was a merry-go-round of consideration and reconsideration, of estimating the odds and negotiating positions. Finally the jockeying was over and the cards were firmly on the table - the opposition parties will boycott the April 2 general election.

The Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon parties had frustrated all and sundry by their hesitation to jointly counter Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's House dissolution on Friday, which they called an "illegitimate act" by the premier designed to avert fraud charges over his family's recent Shin Corp business deal.

The merry-go-round began almost as soon as Thaksin announced he was dissolving the House. Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who heads the opposition, said he was ready to challenge Thaksin in the April 2 poll.

Then overnight, Abhisit changed his stance after the People's Alliance for Democracy called on the three opposition parties not to field any candidates, while asking pro-democracy voters not to choose a constituency or party-list MP when filling in their ballot papers.

Many Democrats welcomed the proposal. Abhisit chaired a party executive meeting, which dragged on for six hours, with leading figures split into two camps. Some supported the boycott, saying it was the best means to convince the public that Thaksin no longer deserved to run the country.

The rest of the executives disagreed. They believed a boycott would turn the public against the party for the very reason many people despised Thaksin - that is, the Democrats were reverting to politicking in order to strengthen their position rather than to serve the national interest.

The meeting finally had to revert to a secret ballot to get a resolution, which ended up in favour of the boycott.

Shortly before Abhisit could advise its opposition partners Chat Thai and Mahachon of the decision, Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai - who was in Nakhon Si Thammarat - reportedly let it be known he was resolutely opposed to a boycott. He phoned Abhisit and successfully implored him to defer cementing the party's position.

Mahachon leader Sanan Kachornprasart, meanwhile, jumped in to back the Democrats to boycott the poll all the way.

While this was going on, Chat Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa was demurring on taking a stand in order to negotiate, so the rumours said, with the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party.

Chat Thai sources said Thai Rak Thai was furiously lobbying the tiny opposition party to drop the idea of a boycott in return for 80 House seats and some ministerial posts.

Thus Saturday passed in confusion and a lack of unity on the part of the three opposition parties.

Then in a surprise twist, a Sunday meeting ended with the three parties resolving to give Thaksin an ultimatum to sign a pact agreeing to amend the Constitution. His acceptance would end talk of a boycott.

Angered and feeling not a little betrayed, the People's Alliance for Democracy attacked the opposition parties for twisting and turning like a snake in order to reach a compromise with Thaksin, which would ultimately end up with the man they desperately want to topple surviving the crisis.

The point was, the exasperated group said, many people believe Thaksin's reservoir of legitimacy had run dry because he exploited his power to burnish the family coffers at the expense of millions of taxpayers. Amending the Constitution was not the issue, they snorted.

While it appeared the opposition parties were playing the wrong card by giving Thaksin a chance to regain his position, it was the premier himself who yesterday dimmed the light on his chances of survival by rejecting the opposition's proposal.

He instead set his own framework to amend the Constitution to show the public that he was willing to serve them rather than the opposition parties which were only seeking a bargaining position.

With the caravel ground to a halt, the Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon parties had no choice but declare their support for a boycott. It puts Thaksin firmly back in the hot seat as the background chorus of calls for his resignation begins to swell.

Weerayut Chokchaimadon

The Nation