Thai aims to rerun disrupted vote in April

A farmer protester cries during a rally demanding the Yingluck administration resolve delays in payment, outside the Government's temporary headquarters in Bangkok February 10, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

RICE SCHEME NOT RENEWED

After the cabinet meeting, Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan said the cabinet had approved taking 712 million baht ($22 million) from the state budget to pay some farmers.

"We expect the Election Commission will approve it very soon because it's a problem for farmers," he told reporters.

But commissioner Somchai said the election body does not have the authority to approve budgetary changes that may affect an incoming government, adding that banks dared not lend out money to the government.

"Every single bank is afraid because they know if they lend to the government for its rice scheme they would be violating the constitution," Somchai said. "What worries them even more is that their clients may panic and start withdrawing their savings from the bank."

Some form of rice-support scheme has existed in Thailand for decades, rolled over into successive crops under governments of all leanings. But that may end this month, adding to the anger of farmers.

"We are just a caretaker government, which has no power to extend any policy. The rice-buying scheme will end automatically on February 28," Varathep Rattanakorn, a minister in the prime minister's office, told Reuters.

The rice programme was one of the populist policies associated with Thaksin, who has lived abroad since 2008 to avoid a two-year jail term on a graft conviction he said was politically motivated.

Thai election concludes, results yet to come	Thai political crisis threatens budget, rice scheme