Thailand seen lifting state of emergency

Despite the easing tension, the violence has not ended.

Two hurt in shooting in Thai capital

Three people were injured on Tuesday when an explosive device was thrown into Lumpini Park, where the protesters have set up camp. On Monday, a grenade was thrown near another protest. No one was hurt.

With the army not intervening to oust Yingluck, as it did in 2006 with a coup against Thaksin, the protesters are hoping the courts, widely seen as supportive of the anti-Thaksin establishment, will eventually bring her down.

Yingluck faces various legal challenges, with one of the potentially most serious being a charge of dereliction of duty brought against her by the anti-corruption agency over a rice-subsidy scheme that has left hundreds of thousands of farmers unpaid.

A Bangkok civil court limited the government's powers on Feb. 19, prohibiting force to crack down on protesters and stopping authorities from banning gatherings.

Paradorn said that the ruling had removed a reason for maintaining the emergency as it limited what the government could do under it anyway.

A Feb. 2 election, disrupted by protesters and boycotted by the main opposition party, failed to resolve the impasse and left Yingluck, whose party is likely win the vote, head of a caretaker government with limited spending power.

The government needs voting to be completed in the 18 percent of constituencies where it was disrupted in order to muster enough legislators to convene parliament.

Some re-runs were held this month and the Election Commission said on Tuesday it would hold re-runs in 11 other provinces on April 5 and 27.

Separately, the government is waiting for a Constitutional Court ruling on what to do in 28 districts where candidates were unable to register for the vote.

Speaking to reporters, Yingluck said the sooner voting was completed the faster the country could move on.

"I want every side to wait for the Constitutional Court ruling. If it comes quickly we can move toward elections quickly," said Yingluck.

"We have wasted enough time and opportunities."