PM 'may dissolve House today'

He said his reading of Samak's behaviour in the past few days suggested the PM would ask the electorate to decide whether it wanted the PPP, the Democrat Party or the People's Alliance for Democracy to run the country.

MPs would not like a dissolution, he said, but Samak's resignation would just see the PAD asserting its power to approve the formation of a new government. Surapong, a prominent northern PPP member, previously gathered signatures of PPP MPs calling on Samak to clarify why he had let the police issue an arrest warrant for former Thai Rak Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

Meanwhile, Samut Prakarn MP Pracha Prasopdee said the anti-PAD Democratic Alliance for Democracy had called on its supporters to rally at Sanam Luang.

However, House Speaker Chai Chidchob said Samak had told him earlier, insisting not to resign nor dissolve the Parliament.

Chai has scheduled 1.30pm today for a parliamentary meeting for MPs and senators to discuss solving the political crisis, House of Representatives secretary-general Pitoon Poomhirun said yesterday.

Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej told senators during a seminar in Hua Hin that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had informed Chai that he wanted to invoke Article 179 of the Constitution to hold a general debate on the problems stemming from the protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy.

Samak argued in his letter dated Friday that the group's seizure of government offices had caused unrest and the situation seemed to be escalating.

As a result, the PM wants Parliament to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the situation and find a peaceful solution.