Thai PM Thaksin goes on the offensive with own mass rally
Tens of thousands of people were expected to join the rally, which comes two days before another mass anti-government protest on Sunday, amid worries that escalating political tension could turn bloody at the demonstrations.
Thaksin, who has come under mounting pressure to quit over allegations of corruption and abuse of power, was scheduled to speak at the rally at 8:00 P.M.(1300 GMT). "I will put the record straight," Thaksin said. "There will be no lies."
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University, said Friday's rally showed Thaksin was resolved to fight his opponents tooth and nail.
"He is not going to resign. He has taken up this battle to show street and parliamentary oppositions that he has majority support," Thitinan said.
"That's why he has chosen Sanam Luang for his rally. He wants to prove to his opponents that he has strong mass support," he said.
Sanam Luang field near the royal palace in central Bangkok was the venue for last Sunday's mass rally, which drew more than 50,000 anti-Thaksin protesters.
Anti-government groups are on Sunday to stage another demonstration there to demand his resignation.
Thaksin abruptly dissolved Parliament last Friday and called a snap general election on April 2, three years ahead of schedule, in a bid to defuse the crisis.
But the country's main opposition Democrat Party and two other opposition parties announced Monday they would boycott the polls, throwing the kingdom into political turmoil.
Thaksin, the founder of Thailand's ruling Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, on Thursday formally made his bid for re-election in the snap polls and pleaded with the opposition to drop their boycott of next month's vote.
"All the election laws in effect today were written by Democrats. I'm running under rules written by Democrats. I plead with them to run in the election," Thaksin said.
The Democrat Party used to be the dominant force in Thai politics for decades, but was trounced by Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party in 2001 and 2005 elections.
If the opposition parties change their minds, they have until Friday afternoon to name their candidates for prime minister.
Thaksin, who enjoys strong electoral support in the poor and rural regions, won a second term in office just one year ago with an absolute majority in Parliament, an historic victory that made him appear invincible.
But simmering public discontent bubbled over his family's 1.9 billion dollar tax-free sale of its shares in Shin Corp -- telecoms giant Thaksin found before entering politics -- to Singaporean investors in January.
The public anger, mostly among Bangkok's urban middle class, at the Shin Corp deal has turned into weekly street protests against Thaksin since February 4, drawing tens of thousands of people demanding his resignation.