Jonas Halfstrom said the people's expressions at the rally reflected a strong democratic spirit. Kiat said the envoy attended the rally to observe the general political situ¬ation, as it was the first opposition party protest in Bangkok.

"Halfstrom told me everything was good," he said.

He said he told the envoy that the Democrat Party had decided to boycott the April 2 election because by dissolving the House Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had escaped parliamentary scruti¬ny over the Shin Corp sale.

The second reason, Kiat said, was because the check mechanism used by independent agencies had been interfered with. "The Democrat Party doesn't want to compete in an election feeling that the referees are biased," he said. "The election would not end any ongoing problem, because the problem is the public trust in Thaksin over the share sale."

by Kornchanok Raksaseri