The country could suffer another, more dangerous, round of civil unrest if caretaker Premier Thaksin Shinawatra backtracks on his pledge to take "a break" from politics, the ruling party was warned yesterday.

Nipit Intarasombat, a key Demo-crat Party figure, warned of dire consequences after several key members of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party suggested their boss would no longer have to take a break from politics if courts nullified the April 2 election.

Nipit's comments were echoed by several outgoing senators.

But, a leading member of the Thai Rak Thai Party, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thaksin would definitely stand for a new election as the party's number one party-list candidate.

"Several key figures in [the party] have come to the conclusion that Thaksin would have to return if the party is going to be successful in the new polls," the party member said.

On April 4, Thaksin announced on national television that he would remove himself from the political scene for nine to 15 months to allow a successor oversee political reform.

However, the Supreme, Adminis-trative and Constitution Courts are now considering whether to nullify the April 2 election, and subsequent by-elections, on grounds that they were "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional". This would open the way for a new election.

The Thai Rak Thai source said: "If we don't have Thaksin as the top party-list candidate, how can we be effective in campaigning for votes? People, especially in provincial and rural areas, still want Thaksin as premier.

"And if we didn't have Thaksin in the new race, the party would be torn apart due to infighting among several factions."

He said the party expected the new election to take place in July after the completion of celebrations to mark HM the King's 60 years on the throne. And the new government would be formed in August, he claimed.

Another Thai Rak Thai source said Thaksin should not be barred from entering a new poll and it should be left up to voters to decide whether he should return to power.

However, Nipit warned: "If Thaksin tries to regain power now, confusion will return and it will inevitably widen the rift in society and conflict will escalate."

The Democrat went so far as to say: "The conflict might eventually lead to a civil war.

"In the end, Thaksin wouldn't be able to stay in power for long. We'd like Thaksin to do the best for the country. If Thaksin returns prematurely, his party will benefit only in the short term but the country will suffer,'' Nipit said.

Several outgoing senators also warned that Thai Rak Thai would face a widespread public backlash and further legal action if it challenged the courts' judgement.

Senator Karun Saingam warned Thai Rak Thai MPs to be careful to avoid triggering a backlash.

"They are stubborn and blind for making political moves that can only benefit themselves. What they have done challenges the public protests," he said, referring to a group of Thai Rak Thai MPs-elect who accused Administrative Court judges of siding with the opposition and threatened to impeach judges who nullified their election.

The MPs-elect are also pushing for Parliament to be convened now, despite the fact it lacks a quorum.

Outgoing Senator Seri Suwanpanon accused the MPs of contempt of court for publicly expressing dissatisfaction on cases the courts are considering.

Outgoing Senator Chirmsak Pinthong said the Thai Rak Thai MPs were struggling to survive at a dead-end.

"They are acting like people who do not accept the country's laws and HM the King's address, which instructed the courts to ease the political crisis. The public will not let them continue in contempt of court,'' he said.

"Watch out. Don't think that you can get away with it," he warned.

People's Alliance for Democracy spokesman Suriyasai Katasila warned Thai Rak Thai MPs pushing for Thaksin's return that their efforts will backfire and bring about Thaksin's political demise if he returns to power.

"It is more than an uphill battle to push Thaksin back to power. If Thai Rak Thai Party MPs believe that their party is a political institution, just present another candidate for prime minister,'' he said. 

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Yossawadee Hongthong

The Nation