Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday that new elections would be considered only after violence and protests by anti-government activists end completely, after two months of turmoil left at least 85 people dead and deeply divided the country.
Abhisit’s comment indicated he would continue to take a tough line against the Red Shirt protesters and would not make a grand gesture of announcing immediate elections to heal the rift, as some had expected.
Under Thai law, Abhisit is not obligated to hold new polls until December next year.
“It is now entirely up to me to see when is the most appropriate time to hold the election,” Abhisit said in his weekly television talk show.
“At the moment, no one can tell when is the best time. We don’t know what will happen next. There are some people still talking about continuing their fight and to hold a protest in June. We will have to see what happens first” before thinking of elections, he said.
Abhisit said that schools, streets and government agencies would reopen today after being shuttered to keep civilians out of central Bangkok during the clashes.
Hundreds of schoolchildren and residents, including foreigners, joined municipal workers at the former protest sites to clean up the mess left behind. Children cleaned anti-government graffiti, removed posters and washed sidewalks to remove weeks of accumulated grime.
The stock exchange was also due to resume trading for the first time since Wednesday, when it was one of 36 major buildings torched as enraged militant Reds went on the rampage after their leaders were forced to surrender.
“Everything is calm and returning to normalcy,” the prime minister said.
However, authorities extended until tomorrow a curfew in force for four nights in Bangkok and 23 other provinces, saying the measures would remain in place “for security reasons.”
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