Red shirt leaders have said they accept, in principle, Prime Minister Abhisit’s proposal for new elections in November. This would be 13 months before Abhisit was originally due to face new polls. But there are a few sticking points.
First, as political analysts have pointed out, both sides want to be in control of the government in September. That’s when the military re-shuffle, or promotions, are set to occur.1 And this is also when the national budget it set.
Second, red shirt leaders say they want more details about how the new elections will come about. Some leaders have said that Abhisit himself lacks the power to call new elections, and that only the election commission can take such action.
For more, here’s a CSM story from yesterday. And for more on the Thai military, I suggest reading this WSJ story from today.
I'm Newley Purnell, an American journalist in Bangkok. I report for Bloomberg BNA, ABC News Radio, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and more.