Thai caretaker PM sticks to election as only way out

Thailand's newly installed caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan on Monday insisted that holding a general election to form a new government is the only way out of the prolonged political crisis.

The caretaker government will do its best to make the election happen, Niwatthamrong said in an interview with foreign media.

"I don't think we will have a civil war and I have strong confidence that we will have an election," he said, adding both the government and Election Commission (EC) have learned a lesson from the Feb.2 election, which was first disrupted by anti- government protesters and later nullified by the Constitutional Court, and will try to do better next time.

He will meet with the EC to discuss a royal decree for a new election tentatively set for July 20.

All parties concerned in the current political unrest, including the government, political parties, protesters and pro- government "red shirts," will be engaged to seek solutions that are in line with the constitution, the law and democratic process, Niwatthamrong said.

On Monday afternoon, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban led demonstrators to move out of Lumpini Park in the heart of the capital Bangkok, which had been a major rally site for months, and to the new base on Ratchadamnoen Avenue near the Government House.

Suthep made the relocation decision after he and other protester leaders were allowed on Saturday night to use the Santi Maitree building in the Government House as a command center.

The army has been prepared to prevent confrontation between protesters and "red shirts," deputy army spokesman Winthai Suwaree said, adding so far there has been no sign of clash between the opposing sides.

In addition, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said on Monday that it had set up 40 medical teams that would be standing by at rally sites of the two sides to provide immediate assistance if violence erupted.