He has left political observers wondering who the "charismatic" individual is and wild guesses have ensued. An opinion poll shows that most respondents believe he is referring to Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda. Some people imagine a respected figure with even higher stature.

It appears to be a well-calculated move although the political bombshell has drawn flak from many elements in society and armed Thaksin's opponents with one more reason to assail him.

A few words of praise came from Thaksin's steadfast ally, Senator-elect Samak Sundaravej, who described the premier's term for the perceived threat as "appropriate and chic".

Although Thaksin is unpredictable by nature, his recent manoeuvres clearly indicate that he is taking a gamble that the next general election will go ahead on October 15 as tentatively scheduled.

He stressed during last week's gathering of senior bureaucrats at Government House that he would give his life to protect democracy. He repeated that show of martyr-like determination during a Thai Rak Thai meeting on Tuesday, when he portrayed himself and his ruling party as true champions of democracy.

The premier said the ruling party would not allow any undemocratic influence to derail the general election. And any postponement would have to be legally justified, such as by the resignation of the election commissioners, he said.

He appeared to be repeating a message given last week by pro-government groups, such as the Caravan of the Poor, which threatened "unidentified action" against any person or group that stands in the way of the election and the country's democratic process.

It appears the premier senses a mounting threat to the status quo for both himself and the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party, which has been in power for more than five years.

The recent political developments - particularly the public prosecutors' decision to pursue electoral fraud charges against Thai Rak Thai, along with the Democrat Party and smaller political parties - point to an increasingly cloudy future for Thaksin and his party.

In order to keep the uncertainties in check, Thaksin and the ruling party need to return to the status of a government with full powers as soon as possible. And the best option now is to win an election.

Even if the ruling party is dissolved by order of the Constitution Court, as a result of the electoral fraud case filed against it by the Office of the Attorney-General, Thaksin and other key party figures could still contest the next election. And the law also allows elected MPs to find a new political party to join after their old party is delisted.

Thaksin and the ruling party have placed their bets for the election to go on as planned, and it will be interesting to see if they have any trump card hidden up their sleeve.

Your comments are welcome. E-mail the Political Desk at poldesk@nationgroup.com.

Kittipong Thavevong

The Nation