Thaksin rejects calls to quit after mass protest

BANGKOK, Sunday (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will finish his second term in power, his spokesman said Sunday, rejecting protesters' calls for the premier to resign or hold new elections.

"The prime minister has no plans to dissolve the House (of Representatives) for the time being, and he intends to work another three years to complete his second term," Surapong Suebwonglee told AFP.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Bangkok Saturday to demand Thaksin step down, accusing the prime minister of corruption and using his political power to boost his business dealings.

Despite the resignation of two ministers in the last two days, Thaksin had no plans to reshuffle his cabinet but will appoint his deputies to fill the vacant posts, Surapong added.

"We consider the resignations of two ministers as an internal problem of our Thai Rak Thai party, which is part of the evolution of a political institution. The resignations had nothing to do with the February 4 demonstration," he said.

Two ministers with minor posts - culture and technology - resigned on Friday and Saturday. Both belong to the same faction within Thaksin's party.

Earlier Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra vowed Friday to keep fighting against calls for his resignation, as one of his cabinet ministers resigned on the eve of a major protest.

This came as a new poll showed Thaksin's approval ratings had dropped amid public outcry at his family's sale of its share of the telecom giant that he founded, Shin Corp, for almost 1.9 billion dollars.

Thaksin spent the day trying to shore up his image as his rivals prepared to rally tens of thousands of people on the streets of the capital Saturday to demand his resignation.

"I was born to fight, and especially when problems arise I will not back down," said Thaksin. who visited Bangkok's poorest slum and spent time with students at Government House.

"If I back off, that means I have not upheld the law, so why should I have to quit," he said.

Questions about the sale of Shin Corp last week to Singapore's state-owned investment firm Temasek have prompted regulators to investigate Thaksin's two children, while sparking public anger for avoiding a 30 percent capital-gains tax.

The controversy rattled Thaksin's cabinet, as Cultural Minister Uraiwan Thienthong announced her resignation.

"Under the current circumstances I have wondered whether to quit or to stay. And now my final decision is to quit the cabinet in order to preserve political ethics," she told a press conference.

Uraiwan is married to Sanoh Thienthong, who leads one of the major factions within Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party.

Her resignation was the latest political fallout from the controversy, which has dragged down Thaksin's already sagging popularity.

Thaksin's leading critic, media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, said the rally would focus on corruption in government, media freedom and reform of "money politics".

"Tomorrow's fight will be a fight against a tyrant, which for the past few months has been engaged in mudslinging, using government power to control me," Sondhi told reporters.

"I have to show my boldness, because this man is selling the country, shutting down the people's right to know. Why do we still support him?"

In a statement earlier, Sondhi said he would petition the king to intervene in the political furore. The constitution does not allow King Bhumibol Adulyadej to dissolve the government or name a new prime minister, but the monarch wields great influence over Thai society.