The former Democrat leader accused the government of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of paralysing the country's independent agencies. Their inability to monitor the government was the main cause of the political crisis, he said.

Chuan said he had ignored Thaksin's offer to form a government of national unity with all parties involved in the conflict. The premier had tried to deceive the public into thinking he was attempting to solve the political crisis, when he was actually unwilling to take the necessary steps to resolve it, he said. - The Nation.

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Chula arts faculty: Lecturers urge PM to resign

One hundred lecturers at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts yesterday signed a statement urging Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to end the political crisis by resigning from the post, said Assistant Professor Carina Chotirawe, who was among those who signed the petition.

The group also invited members of the university to join the street protest being held today by the People's Alliance for Democracy outside the Siam Paragon shopping complex. - The Nation

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NCCC selection: More throw their hats in the ring

Eleven additional applicants boosted from 40 to 51 the number of candidates vying for the nine vacant positions at the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC).

The NCCC selection committee has scheduled April 7 for candidates to deliver their presentations and will finalise the nomination process on April 17. From the original batch of 40 applicants, the committee has already selected 13 NCCC candidates. It is slated to select five more candidates from the 11 new applicants plus the 27 who failed to muster sufficient support in the first round of selection.

The Senate is empowered to recommend nine of the 18 NCCC candidates for royal appointment. - The Nation