Thai PM dissolves Parliament

BANGKOK, December 9 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives on Monday morning to pave the way for a new general election within 60 days. According to Caretaker Premier Yingluck, her decision, as a way out for the escalating political strife in the country, is aimed at returning power to the Thai people through peaceful and democratic means. Yingluck's announcement followed the resignation of all opposition Democrat Party MPs in the Lower House on Sunday and a call for mass street rallies across Thailand on Monday by Suthep Thuagsuban, a former deputy Democrat premier-turned leader of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), now the largest anti-government protest group, to pressure for the ouster of the Yingluck administration. Article 108 of Thailand’s Constitution states that a new general election is to be held within 60 days after a dissolution of the Parliament. Meanwhile, street protesters were still marching to Bangkok's Government House despite the dissolution of the Parliament, demanding the resignation of all the Caretaker Cabinet's members. (TNA)