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[Garcia]

"Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda has advised Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to think seriously about dissolving the House to end the turmoil on the streets of the capital.

Gen Anupong, who joined top-level security officials at the Army Club to monitor the People's Alliance for Democracy's protest march yesterday afternoon, told Mr Samak he should explore the House dissolution option, a source said. This was because the PAD demonstrators had declared victory by laying siege to Government House. Clearing the decks would allow the people to "make a new decision" at a fresh general election.

In the meantime, Mr Samak would head a caretaker government and remain in power long enough to supervise a major military reshuffle in August. The source added Mr Samak would help ward off any influence from former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the military shake-up.

"Part of the reason Gen Anupong doesn't want Mr Samak to resign is because he fears that his replacement will not be as compromising with the military. The new prime minister would only be a yes-man to Mr Thaksin," the source said.

A House dissolution, however, is technically impossible at present because the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition Democrats has been put on parliament's agenda. Under the 2007 charter, the prime minister is not allowed to dissolve the House during a no-confidence session."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=128394