THAILAND : Premier Fails to Quit, Dissolves Parliament

Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa dissolved parliament and called fresh elections for Nov. 17, a move that surprised many members of the public and angered some key coalition partners. Banharn had been widely expected to quit today, as he promised last weekend, after picking someone to replace him. But the premier, who kept the nation and his allies guessing for nearly a week about his next move, finally flashed his trump card at allies who had humiliated him and forced him to declare his resignation. He had earlier conveyed his decision to hold new voting at a failed meeting of the 14-month-old, six-party coalition’s leaders. They had been meeting frequently all week to try to find a replacement for him.