A day after a TNT bomb rocked the home of Privy Council President Prem Tin-sulanonda, the capital's political temperature suddenly cooled yesterday as all the conflicting parties signalled their willingness to talk and strike a compromise.

The caretaker Thaksin government, the opposition and the People's Alliance for Democracy still have to agree on a format or venue for the talks, which may not even take place.

This dramatic turn of events followed a proposal by the university rectors' group, which met on March 4 before coming up with a recommendation on Thursday for all the parties to take one step back and then come together at the negotiating table to discuss an end to the political crisis.

"The meeting won't focus on who's right or wrong, because the country has passed that stage. What we want to see is the three parties sitting down at the same table and talking it out with the aim of reaching a compromise," said Prasert Chitpong, rector of Prince of Songkhla University.

Politics has reached a stalemate, with the threat of further violence. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawa-tra is fighting for his political survival by getting ready for the April 2 general election. He dissolved the House on February 24 following fierce attacks on his premiership over his family's tax-free sell-off of Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore.

The Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon parties have boycotted the snap election on the grounds that it is not the right way out and that a fair poll cannot be ensured. Without the participation of the opposition bloc, the April 2 general election looks set to produce a one-party Parliament for the Thai Rak Thai.

The People's Alliance for Democracy has been rallying fiercely at Sanam Luang in recent days for the unconditional resignation of Thaksin from politics. The group is calling for middle-class and popular support to pressure Thaksin into stepping down and plans to march to Government House on Monday evening before trying to confront Thaksin during the weekly Cabinet meeting on the following day.

Government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said the government was willing to attend the tripartite meeting, which was an appropriate forum in the current political climate.

"We are ready to hold talks to find the best solution for the country," he said.

"But we don't want the meeting to take place in a public-debate format, which some people would like to see, because one party might try to impress on the audience that only it has the right position."

Surapong suggested Thaksin chair the meeting and his deputies and some senior officials attend.

Thaksin, who has vowed repeatedly that he will not yield to political pressure outside the "democratic process", had reservations. "I haven't thought about it yet," he said.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he agreed with the idea of the three parties coming to the negotiating table to seek a way out for society and was willing to discuss all the options with Thaksin and the People's Alliance for Democracy.

"But it has to be an open meeting and transparent, not a one-to-one or closed-door meeting," he said.

Suriyasai Katasila, one of the core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, said his confederation was also willing to hold the talks to try to find the best end to the political stand-off and would like the meeting to be held in the public eye or broadcast nationwide.

"I think the best format for the meeting would be a public debate. What is the government afraid of? Why should it need a closed-door meeting?" he said.

Sondhi Limthongkul and four other key members of the People's Alliance for Democracy are expected to attend the meeting.

Both Abhisit and Suriyasai said they had yet to get any formal invitation to the tripartite meeting from the university rectors.

Meanwhile investigators have been intensely pursuing leads in the wake of the bomb blast that shattered the security booth in front of General Prem's residence on Thursday. They hinted that the TNT bomb, which hurt two foreigners walking nearby, was the work of men in uniform, but they could not pinpoint any political motive behind the blast that aimed to send out a specific signal.

As president of the Privy Council, Prem is one of the main actors on the present political stage. There have been calls from academics, descendants of King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn, senators and civic groups for His Majesty the King to appoint a new prime minister to replace Thaksin.

Two men on a motorcycle also hurled a firecracker bomb at the residence of Chai-anan Samudvanija at Vajiravudh College, where he serves as director. Chai-anan has been collecting signatures from prominent people in society to petition the King to appoint a new premier.

The two closely related incidents have heightened concern that politics may boil over into violence after several months of growing tension.

Thaksin has been fighting to regain media exposure by giving interviews on local and international television, saying he is extremely upset with persecution by the local media.

A Thai Rak Thai source said Thaksin had told a party meeting that rumours were current because his opponents could monopolise media time, which incited people to join forces with the People's Alliance for Democracy.

"From now on I will do my best to deliver my message through all the media. I think if I can explain things through the media it will reduce the number of protesters," Thaksin said, insisting that the election would go ahead on April 2.

Earlier this week Thai Rak Thai placed full-page advertisements in major papers in a publicity blitz aimed at salvaging the political career of the telecom tycoon-turned-premier.

He will be on CNN's worldwide Talk Asia programme answering questions on the current political state of affairs in Thailand from today to Monday.

He appeared last night on Sorrayuth Suthasanachinda's late-night "Theung Look Theung Khon" talk show on Modernine TV, no doubt in the knowledge that the local press would monitor the programme and the next day his interview would be picked up by every newspaper, improving his media coverage.