Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra did not dispatch a confidential note to US President George W Bush but sent a letter through proper diplomatic channels to explain that he had won an election but had been prevented from forming a government, his top aide said yesterday.

"As leader of the caretaker government, Thaksin wanted to report the unusual circumstances in Thai politics to the world community," secretary-general to the prime minister Prommin Lertsuridej said.

The letter was sent in April, Prommin said, adding that Thaksin had been concerned

foreign leaders might misunderstand the condition of Thailand's democracy.

"Some foreign leaders might have thought Thailand was no longer a democracy, and Thaksin told them that the Kingdom was still under democratic rule with the King as head of state," he said.

Thaksin chose to send a letter to the US president because he had not met him during his personal visit to Texas in the second week of April, he added.

Prommin confirmed that Thaksin had conveyed a similar message in person to the government leaders of Britain, France, Russia, China and Japan during two private "coffee-diplomacy" trips in April.

He also said the government would have no objection if relevant parties wanted to access the letter via the proper channels. The release of the letter might take place next week, after the long holiday, he said.

Thaksin's top aide stepped

forward to defend his boss after outgoing Senator Kraisak Choonhavan alleged that the embattled prime minister had sent a secret message telling Bush a charismatic figure was trying to topple him by undemocratic means.

Thaksin stirred up a furore on Monday when he portrayed himself as the defender of democracy and blamed the unnamed charismatic figure for attempting to topple him. Confusion deepened as Thaksin refused to identify the person.

Kraisak claimed on Friday that Thaksin's letter to Bush contained the same attack against the charismatic figure that he made on Monday.

It is still unclear whether Thaksin sent his letter before or after April 25, the date His Majesty the King urged judicial intervention to sort out the chaos caused by the controversial April 2 vote.

The judiciary later nullified the election results and ordered a new vote.

Government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said Thaksin had had no secret personal communications with the American leader.

"The letter to President Bush was sent as a dispatch between one government leader and another," he said.

Surapong said Thaksin's key motive was to ensure foreign leaders that democracy had firm roots in Thailand.

He dismissed any link between Thaksin's letter and his remarks on Monday, saying Kraisak might not have been fully informed when he made his allegation.

Commenting on next Friday's mass rally planned by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), he said Thaksin's opponents should push for a new election rather than focus on finding fault with remarks about a charismatic figure.

"The PAD has the right to rally and should exercise this right in a meaningful way for the country. The demand for Thaksin's resignation has no justification, because he is just a caretaker leader whose untimely departure will lead to a power vacuum," Surapong said.

"If Thaksin leaves his caretaker office now it may pave the way for a royally appointed prime minister, and His Majesty has already deemed this undemocratic in the royal statement of April 25," he said.

Surapong said Thaksin would reveal the identity of the charismatic figure once he had gathered sufficient evidence for prosecution.

Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said Thaksin had acted inappropriately by raising domestic political issues with the American president.

"If Thaksin has something to say, he should talk to Thais and not to Bush. Thailand is not an American colony," Suthep said.

He said Thaksin appeared to be trying to defend himself at the expense of national unity.

Chat Thai Party leader Banharn Silapa-archa said the embattled prime minister had set himself on fire with his remarks about a charismatic enemy.

"The turmoil will persist if Thaksin isn't careful about his words," Banharn said.

Activist Taikorn Pholsuwan filed a police complaint accusing Thaksin of offending the monarch, citing the remarks about a charismatic figure as evidence.

Officers at Dusit Police Station have yet to decide whether to investigate the matter.

Anti-Thaksin campaigner Sondhi Limthongkul has vowed to expose on Friday what Thaksin meant by attacking the charismatic figure. Sondhi is a key PAD organiser.