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Politics
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2006-10-03 12:34:09-04
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Thailand's ousted premier Thaksin quits as party head
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Bangkok, Oct 3: Thaksin Shinawatra, the deposed prime minister of Thailand, has resigned from the leadership of his Thai Rak Thai party, throwing the once powerful political group into total disarray. Thaksin, who is in London, announced his leadership resignation through copies of a handwritten statement distributed to reporters by a party spokesman in Bangkok. Thaksin insisted his Thai Rak Thai party would survive but other key members and analysts pronounced the mass exodus and Thaksin's resignation as the death knell for the party that had controlled Thai politics since 2001. "I have to resign because of the current atmosphere and to protect the future of the party," Thaksin said in a 3-page handwritten letter that marked his first formal statement since a military council ousted him from power on September 19, accusing him of corruption. In the letter, which was distributed at Thai Rak Thai's headquarters, Thaksin defended himself against accusations of wrongdoing and described his departure as a sacrifice for the nation. "I have ... decided to make a sacrifice by resigning from the leadership of the Thai Rak Thai party effective starting now. I have to apologise to party members and people who do not want me to resign. I want to stress that it is necessary," said Thaksin, who founded the party in 1998. Thaksin assigned deputy party leader Sudarat Keyuraphan to serve as the acting head of the party, but the move was largely seen as ceremonial since the party is unable to engage in politics under the martial law imposed by coup leaders.
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