Key events on 8 December 2013

Around 12.30 hrs, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra made a televised speech reiterating her readiness to dissolve the House or resign if it was the wish of the majority of people. This must be done in accordance with the law, that is, when the House is dissolved, an election must be held within 60 days as stipulated by the law and under fair rules. Khun Suthep’s proposal – which has always insisted that neither the House dissolution nor the Prime Minister’s resignation would be acceptable, but only a return of power to the people without an election – is a novelty and remains inconclusive whether it adheres to democratic principles. In order to avoid damaging the country any further, the Prime Minister called on all Thais to turn to each other to resolve the problems together.

Later in the afternoon, all 152 Members of Parliament of the Democrats Party resigned. Former Party Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva explained that the resignation was a gesture to demonstrate that the government had lost legitimacy when it rejected the Constitutional Court's ruling on the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill, which ran against the public's feelings.                     The Government, thus, must return sovereignty to the people.

At 19.30 hrs, Government Spokesperson Teerat Ratanasevi told members of the media that, as a result of the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill, the Secretariat of the House of Representatives sent a Letter to the Secretariat of the Cabinet requesting that the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill be recalled. The Prime Minister, therefore, sought His Majesty’s assent to have the said Bill withdrawn at the earliest opportunity.
 
Later in the evening, the key leaders of the protest reiterated that all protestors from different rally sites would embark on a final march to the Government House at around 09.00 hrs on 9 December 2013.

Key events on 9 December 2013

At around 08.45 hrs, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra made a televised speech announcing the dissolution of the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister explained that The Government had handled the protests leniently and with a compromising position which respected the basic right to freedom of expression at all times in order to preserve the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand because the Government did not want further loss for the country and the people as Thailand already suffered enough. In today’s situation, the Government had considered the differing viewpoints and each side had claimed to be representing a large number of people. Therefore, the Government was of the view that under a democratic system, if we reached a point where differences may lead to divisiveness among the nation’s people and violence which may lead to losses, returning power to the people so that they could decide through dissolution of parliament and holding new elections, was in accordance with the system of democracy with the King as the Head of State. The people could also determine which approach the majority wanted and who would administer the country under that approach.

The protestors from various rally sites started marching along 9 different routes throughout Bangkok at around 9 am with the ultimate goal of converging at Government House later in the afternoon. Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, Secretary-General of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), was expected to make an announcement some time late in the afternoon in front of the Government House.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Toevichakchaikul, as Head of the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO), with Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnork and Interior Minister Charupong Reangsuwan, delivered a televised statement at around 11.30 asking the protestors to go home now that the Prime Minister had dissolved the House of Representatives to return power to the people.During the press conference, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister elaborated that the Cabinet had to remain in duty as caretaker Government to discharge its duties as may be necessary in accordance with Section 181 of the Constitution. 

At 15.00 hrs, the representatives of CAPO made a public announcement saying that most of the protestors had already converged in the areas around of the Government House except those coming from the Government Complex. CAPO representative thanked the protestors for demonstrating peacefully and without weapons. 

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