Thai protesters return to streets

Thai government to lift Bangkok emergency

Thai protesters to scale back Bangkok gatherings

The Constitutional Court annulment of the election could offer a way out of the political stalemate if the main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the Feb. 2 poll, decides to run in a fresh vote.

So far, however, the Democrat Party has given no clear indication on what it plans to do.

The Election Commission, which is in charge of organising the new poll, met on Monday to decide how to proceed. Its chairman said on Friday it would take at least three months to organise a new vote.

It is increasingly uncertain whether Yingluck will last that long, due to the mounting legal challenges.

The prospect of her removal has bolstered the confidence of protest leaders.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has said he will lead a march every day this week to urge supporters to join a "massive" rally in Bangkok on Saturday to press for political reforms before a new vote takes place.

"Our rally will be the biggest signal to Yingluck Shinawatra and the Thaksin regime that the Thai public does not want elections before reforms," Suthep said in a speech on Sunday.

His supporters prevented voting in 28 constituencies on Feb. 2, providing grounds for the Constitutional Court to annul the election.

Yingluck's supporters say the court, set up after the 2006 coup that removed her brother, has a record of ruling against parties linked to the former premier.

At the height of the protests more than 200,000 people took to the streets to demand Yingluck's resignation and to try to rid the country of the influence of Thaksin, whom they accuse of nepotism.

The protesters want an unelected "people's council" installed to oversee electoral changes that would, among other things, prevent close Thaksin allies from running for office.