Thaksin warns against meddling

Ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra addressed tens of thousands of supporters by video from exile, warning against efforts to “interfere” in democracy as lawmakers prepared to select yet another new prime minister amid political crisis.

For most of the day, the crowd, estimated by police at 30,000 to 40,000, cheered and danced as speaker after speaker accused the army of using its influence to force Thaksin’s political allies from power despite their election victory a year ago. They criticized efforts by the opposition Democrat Party to form a new government as early as Monday.

The previous prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, was forced to step down this month, when a court dissolved his pro-Thaksin People’s Power Party for fraud committed in the 2007 election that brought it to power. Thaksin has been self-exiled since a 2006 coup.