Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is no longer tasked with the chairmanship of the organising committee to commemorate HM the King's 60th year on the throne, The Nation has learned.

A source said the unpublicised decision by the 19-member Privy Council on March 8 was reached after extensive debate on the political situation. The council voted 15-4 to make its president, General Prem Tinsulanonda, the new chairman. He will be responsible for welcoming kings and queens and their representatives for the celebration of the anniversary of the world's longest-serving monarch.

With Prem in charge it can be expected that whatever political circumstances prevail there will be a respectable leader to represent Thailand and His Majesty.

The source said that both Thaksin and Dr Surakiart Sathirathai knew of the council's decision but they continued their preparatory meetings. The latest round, chaired by Thaksin, was carried out on Thursday at the Foreign Ministry.

Thaksin, on his return from an election campaign swing upcountry, decided not to enter Government House, which was besieged by tens of thousands of protesters, and instead met top officials in charge of the royal event at the Foreign Ministry.

In fact, Thaksin has not entered Government House since the peaceful siege began last Tuesday morning. Official excuses have failed to prevent the building-up of a lame-duck image, which many analysts believe will linger beyond the planned snap election on April 2 if he remains head of the government.

The royal celebration is scheduled to begin in June. Observers don't expect political stability to have returned by then, especially if Thaksin uses the results of the April election, which is being boycotted by the entire opposition bloc, to justify his return to power.

In a recent interview on Channel 9, Thaksin defended the need for an early date for the election by saying the next government had to prepare for the royal celebration, one of the biggest the Kingdom has ever planned. But while the Thaksin camp may use the event to boost his chances of surviving the political crisis, some analysts see the upcoming royal schedule as a factor that adds to his troubles.

"Before Songran Day everything should return to normal so that the country can look forward to celebrating this world important event," a European ambassador said.

"You will have monarchs from all over the world coming to Thailand. The international media will also be here. So the crisis cannot be allowed to go on until then."

Government supporters yesterday used the royal programme to pressure the anti-Thaksin alliance, which is staging a sit-down protest outside Government House with tens of thousands of demonstrators.

"I beg for the public to put pressure on the mobs so they will accept the snap election and its outcome so our country can enter into the celebration of His Majesty's 60th year on the throne," said deputy Thai Rak Thai leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan.

Prem himself has been drawn into the political turmoil. A bomb exploded in front of his Si Sao residence on March 9, slightly injuring two foreigners but drastically heightening national tension. Then last Wednesday, he issued what looked like an impatient plea to those involved in the confrontation to put the country before themselves and quickly defuse the crisis.

According to Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, monarchs and their spouses from 14 countries will attend the commemoration of the world's longest reigning monarch.

He said the royal rulers of Brunei, Swaziland, Monaco, Lesotho, Nepal, Japan, Sweden, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Morocco, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Cambodia would attend the celebrations on June 9.

But what he did not say was that only the first six countries have confirmed in writing. The rest have yet to do so.

Oman, Samoa and Tonga have not yet responded.