Previously, he called on the Democrats to field candidates rather than boycott the poll.

"Abhisit has briefed me about the reasons behind the action, and that it is the decision of the party," Chuan said yesterday.

"Therefore, I informed him that the party should proceed according to the decision," added Chuan, who is the party's chief adviser and a former leader.

"I believe Khun Abhisit made the right decision. I told him that I will support him and the party all the way," he said.

Chuan rebutted caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's criticism that boycotting the election violated democratic principles.

"The situation is similar to the Thai Rak Thai Party not fielding a candidate for a snap election in Satun province. Is that against the law or not? Absolutely not," Chuan said.

"Now the Thai Rak Thai Party has a new motto - to promote democracy and follow the country's rules and laws. This means that for the past five years, Thaksin's government did not do this," Chuan said.

He derided Thaksin's suggestion that the opposition parties should consult Burma's imprisoned reform leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has fought for and encouraged people to participate in elections.

Chuan said Thaksin "should compare his performance to that of Hitler".