**The Thai government has suggested that parliament could be dissolved in September in line with its offer of holding elections two months later.**The offer of elections on 14 November was made earlier this week by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
This was part of what he called a “road-map” to bring almost two months of anti-government protests to an end.
The “red-shirts” have demanded a fixed date for dissolution, as a precondition for ending their Bangkok protests.
There is still no official announcement, but the hints and assumptions are leaning towards a dissolution of parliament in the second half of September.
The question then is whether the date will be enough to satisfy the protesters who remain entrenched in their fortified encampment, despite mounting refuse and the start of monsoon rains.
‘No haggling’
In an interview, Mr Abhisit appeared to firm up his position: "If they don’t go home, I’m not going to dissolve parliament.
“I repeat, I am not negotiating with anybody … including the protesters,” he said.
The armed forces spokesman, Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, supported an apparently stronger line from the government.
“The message that the prime minister has sent out regarding a five-step road-map is for everyone in the country - not just for the red-shirts. So the reds don’t have many choices and don’t have right to haggle about the five steps in the road-map,” he said.
“It’s still possible they could be dispersed,” he added.
The red-shirts have been calling for a formal commitment from the government before telling their supporters it is time to go home.
The protest leaders say they want to join the process of reconciliation offered by the prime minister as part of his plan for creating an atmosphere conducive to holding peaceful elections.
But they are calling for sincerity and clarity from the government.
A second-tier red-shirt leader, Chinawat Haboonpad, said any date for dissolution must be made in a formal announcement; without an announcement, the red-shirts would not leave, he said.
There is clearly a deficit of trust on both sides.
That is hardly surprising after two months of bitter dispute during which 27 people have been killed.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bbcnewsworldfullfeed?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bbcnewsworldfullfeed?d=dnMXMwOfBR0 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bbcnewsworldfullfeed?i=hRRXBEmaT34:uvJqziKJv5Q:V_sGLiPBpWU
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bbcnewsworldfullfeed/~4/hRRXBEmaT34