Army chief calls for House dissolution

Anupong called a meeting of at 2 pm on Wednesday at room 241 of the Royal Thai Army Headquarters.

At a press conference at around 5 pm he said the meeting resolved that the People's Alliance for Democracy call off their protest and Somchai dissolve the House within Thursday.

If the government ignores the call for a House dissolution, it will face civil disobedience.

The people attended the meeting include permanent officials who are heads of ministries, departments, presidents of associations, president of the Federation of Thai Industries, president of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, president of the Thai Tourism Industry, president of the Thai Bankers' Association, and rectors of universities.

Defence Ministry permanent secretary Apichart Penkitti urged the PAD not to pressure Army Chief General Anupong Paochinda to stage a coup because it would cause tremendous negative impact to the country. "Military leaders want to see the country further develop and not to be boycotted by international communities,'' he said.



He said he understood the PAD's intention to bring the country clean politics but the best way to achieve that should be through negotiation. "We are searching for the mediator between the two sides,'' he said.

Opposition Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva had said he called deputy Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul that he was read to be the mediator between the government and the PAD in finding a way out of the crisis, as Chavarat had asked.

However, only Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat must sit at the negotiation table. "The negotiation can start as soon as the PM returns,'' he said.

The Democrat Party on Wednesday condemned the use of violence and disapproved of the PAD's seizing of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

"I am not sure what the PAD's victory would finally be. if the PAD thinks that the PM resigns will be the end, I believe it is not the end because the government will return because there are a lot of people support the government. If the government let the situation continue hoping the PAD will succumb to the public pressure, the problem will not be dissolved. The country and the people are being held hostage,'' he said.