Even more wonderful is the fact that such a peaceful resolution to the most dangerous political conflict since the 1992 bloodbath was achieved through the exercise of ordinary citizens' constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, which are the hallmarks of well-functioning democracies everywhere. The People's Alliance for Democracy, the organiser of the anti-Thaksin campaign, has made effective use of non-violent protest as a weapon against the regime, which stands accused of corruption and anti-democratic tendencies.

The sustained peaceful protest - which first galvanised the middle-class elite and then persuaded members of society at all levels to rise up in defence of democracy, uphold the national interests and reassert their constitutional rights - enabled the whole society to engage in an intense public discourse on the most important question of the day: what constitutes the political legitimacy of a democratic leader?

It helped focus the collective mind of the people on the true spirit of democracy, not just the facade of democracy that has been cynically manipulated by Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai Party. The awakening of the usually apathetic public proved to be the desperately needed catalyst for positive change in Thailand's political landscape, which had been completely dominated by Thaksin for the past five years.

Without a doubt, a valuable lesson has been learned by the Thai people about democracy and how it can be made to work the way it is intended. People learned that they can take their fight to the streets against a government that has lost its legitimacy to rule, and they can also take their fight to the ballot box. The avalanche of abstention votes cast by democratic-loving citizens was a resounding rejection of Thaksin, his Thai Rak Thai Party and the culture of deceit and corruption that they stand for.

Credit must be given to security forces, assigned by the government to maintain peace and order, which consistently carried out their duty with restraint and discipline. They deserve praise for not allowing themselves to be used by the Thaksin government to suppress peaceful demonstrators.

Thaksin's announcement that he will step down as caretaker prime minister after the House of Representatives elects a new prime minister is a great source of relief for the nation, which is beset by an unprecedented divisiveness that has pitted mostly wealthy urban middle-class citizens against poverty-stricken rural masses.

This is a time for national reconciliation. The Election Commission is planning new rounds of elections in single-candidate constituencies where the sole contestant failed to garner the requisite 20 per cent of eligible votes. The continuing election process must be completed without further delay now that rules have been relaxed to allow new candidates to take part in subsequent rounds.

One of the likeliest scenarios is that the Thai Rak Thai Party will form the core of the new government to oversee constitutional reforms, perhaps with some level of participation by impartial public figures or even members of opposition parties, which boycotted the election. And perhaps that sort of arrangement will still allow Thaksin to pull the strings behind the Thai Rak Thai-led government.

Be that as it may, Thaksin's resignation to pave the way for a new prime minister did break the potentially violent impasse. All sides must now work together to ensure that the new government makes a clean break from the corruption-prone legacy and anti-democratic tendencies of the Thaksin regime. Under intense public scrutiny, it will be extremely difficult, if at all possible, for the new government to deviate from the people's renewed democratic aspirations.