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Thai leader's fresh elections promise fails to stop demos

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announces the dissolution of parliament and early elections

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced the dissolution of parliament and early elections to try to defuse the country's political crisis.

But her pledge did nothing to stem a tide of more than 150,000 protesters who vowed to overthrow her in one of the largest demonstrations in years.

The protesters are pushing for an unelected "people's council" to replace her democratically elected government.

"After listening to opinions from all sides, I have decided to request a royal decree to dissolve parliament," said Ms Shinawatra, her voice shaking as she spoke in a nationally televised address that broke into regular programming.

"There will be new elections according to the democratic system."

The ruling party won the last vote two years ago in a landslide and is unlikely to lose in any new ballot.

Despite support for the demonstrations in urban centres, the Shinawatra family maintains enormous support in its rural power base which benefited from policies designed to aid workers.

The opposition Democrats - who are closely allied with the protesters - have not won an election since 1992.

Government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said that the cabinet had proposed that the election would be held on February 2.

The date would need to be approved by the election commission and officials would meet in the next few days to discuss it, said a spokeswoman for the commission.

Ms Shinawatra said she would remain in a caretaker capacity until a new premier is named.

As she was speaking, however, long columns of marching protesters paralysed traffic as they converged from nine locations on Government House.

They filled a major four-lane road in the city's central business district, waving flags, blowing whistles and holding a huge banner that said "Get Out Shinawatra."

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has repeatedly said that calling fresh elections and even Ms Shinawatra's resignation would not be enough to end the conflict.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva led one of the marches, but he declined to comment on whether his party would participate in the election.

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