Thai PM calls for early election citing unrest

"I have asked the Election Committee (EC) to call the next general election earlier," Thaksin told reporters in Narathiwat province, where he held a meeting with officials over security issues in southern Thailand.

"Politics is related to security and (unrest) in the three southernmost provinces. There has been an underground operation going on. Leaflets and CDs are being distributed," he said. "Political upheaval will put the country in even worse shape. The sooner the election campaign is held, the better it will be for the nation".

Bringing the election date forward will in no way guarantee that his Thai Rak Thai party gains an edge over its competitors, Thaksin said.

"The government can choose to dissolve Parliament, but we are not doing so, and every party will have enough time to prepare itself for the election," he said.

Thaksin said no firm date had yet been decided as this would hinge on how much time the EC needed to organise the move, although it would be sooner than the scheduled date of February 13, which is when the prime minister's current term expires.

Democrat Party deputy leader Jurin Laksanawisit attacked Thaksin for trespassing on the work of the EC by ordering it to reschedule a national election.

"The government has an obvious interest in the election. It cannot therefore interfere in the Election Commission's business," he said.

He also called on Thaksin to put an end to his weekly radio programme in the run-up to the election, arguing that opposition parties would clearly be disadvantaged by the government's manipulation of state media to serve as its official mouthpiece.

"If not, the government should allow opposition forces to have similar radio programmes of their own on which they can talk to the public," he said.