Professor Chai-anan Samudvanij and a group of 10 senior academics will today submit a petition to His Majesty the King seeking a royally appointed prime minister in a bid to resolve the worsening political conflict.

The petition is already signed by more than 100 widely respected academics, who believe that the political conflict has reached a point which may require such a solution.

Chai-anan, a widely respected political scientist  and member of the Royal Academy, will be accompanied by 10 senior academics, including Pramote Nakorntap and Pairote Ningsanond, to hand in the petition at the Royal Palace.

On Friday, Dr Surapol Nitikrapoj, rector of Thammasat University, issued an open letter urging Thaksin Shinawatra, the caretaker premier, to step down so that it would open the way for a royally appointed government.

In his letter, Surapol said Thaksin should resign and ask His Majesty to name a caretaker premier to run the country during this interim period and to call a new general election with a schedule that is fairer to all political parties concerned, including the three former opposition parties which are boycotting the April 2 poll.

The Thammasat rector also urged all political parties to join hands to carry out a fresh round of political reform via constitutional amendments.

Also yesterday, the People's Network for Elections (P-Net), an independent election watchdog, announced it would boycott the April 2 general election along with the three former opposition parties.

The P-Net decision came hot on the heels of Thaksin's rally on Friday at Bangkok's Sanam Luang during which he tacitly called for cooperation in the upcoming election by offering a compromise on the polling date.

However, the former opposition Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon parties yesterday rejected the premier's offer and insisted that they would continue to boycott the poll.

Besides P-Net and these former opposition parties, the PM will today face another big demonstration at Sanam Luang and the Democracy Monument, led by the unrelenting People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

This anti-Thaksin movement, launched by media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul and later joined by Maj-General Chamlong Srimuang, continues to expand with new groups having joined the movement this week.

The movement has demanded Thaksin's resignation, but the premier last week dissolved the House and called a snap election.

The new groups joining the anti-Thaksin movement included a senior doctors' group, northern and southern civic groups, academics at Midnight University, Jon Ungpakorn's and Nithi Eaewsriwong's group, an alliance of Thai writers, and Thai students and residents in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia.

As for P-Net, Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, its coordinator, said it would not monitor the April 2 election, contending it was unlikely the poll would end the conflict in society.

The three former opposition parties are being supported by several significant groups in society, so the political conflict would only worsen if there were the election on April 2, it said.

P-Net has established itself as an independent watchdog for several elections since the early 1990s.

In a statement read by Somchai, P-Net said its move was aimed at promoting a democratic and peaceful solution to the conflict and preventing violence.

Somchai, P-Net chairman Saiyud Kerdphol and secretary Warin Thiamcharas joined provincial heads of the ad-hoc P-Net group from all over the country in a meeting at Ban Manangkasila in Bangkok to discuss the April 2 poll.

The group, which has worked closely with the Asian Network for Free Elections in monitoring polls in several Asian countries, had earlier planned to monitor the general election. But it agreed yesterday to merely observe it instead.

"To continue with the April 2 election will not assure Thai society of a peaceful solution because the election is unjustified in the first place. The rationale for the House dissolution is unconvincing, the election date is set so as to gain an advantage over rivals, and there are doubts about the Election Commission's neutrality," said the P-Net statement.

The group said it supported the proposal that Thaksin resign to allow a non-partisan premier to set a new election date that would be fair to all parties and to act as a caretaker in order to ensure a free and fair election.

P-Net also urged the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party and the PAD to take part in a public debate to try and settle their differences. The group has scheduled the debate for March 24 at the Si Burapha Auditorium of Thammasat University.

It urged three senior Thai Rak Thai figures - Thaksin, Suriya Jungrungreangkit and Sudarat Keyuraphan - and three PAD leaders - Chamlong Srimuang, Sondhi Limthongkul and Pipob Dhongchai - to take part.