Thai coup leaders predict polls in Oct 2007

BANGKOK: Thailand's military coup leaders on Wednesday pledged to remain in power for no more than two weeks before handing rule over to an appointed civilian government and predicted a general election would be held by October 2007.

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in his position as head of state, endorsed the appointment of the military government with army Commander-in-Chief Sonthi Boonyaratklin as acting premier shortly after 8:00 pm local time.

Sonthi assured a press conference earlier on Wednesday that military rule would last no more than two weeks and the junta would end martial law as soon as the situation was back to normal.

He leads the self-named Administrative Reform Council which took power on Tuesday night in a surprise coup while caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York attending the UN General Assembly.

Meanwhile, Shinawatra arrived in Britain on Wednesday where he hoped to be united with members of his family. He reached London on board a Thai Airlines plane from New York.

The British Foreign Office said earlier that Thaksin was coming to Britain as a 'private citizen.' He had not asked to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair or any other ministers.

Earlier, Sonthi said they were looking for an appropriate civilian prime minister and cabinet members to run an interim government while Thailand drafts a new constitution and prepares for a new general election, probably by October next year.

Sonthi - flanked by the chiefs of the navy, air force, supreme command and police - passed on similar assurances to scores of Bangkok-based diplomats shortly before the press conference.

"And I can assure you there will be no changes in foreign policy whatsoever," Sonthi told the diplomats.

Sonthi, deemed a "professional soldier" who is loyal to King Adulyadej, mobilized troops and tanks to key strategic spots throughout Bangkok Tuesday night, effectively seizing power from Thaksin's caretaker cabinet.

He claimed the coup, which he had decided upon two days ago, was necessary to put an end to corruption, national divisions, and the undermining of independent agencies and the monarchy under Thaksin's rule.

Bhumibol, who is head of state under Thailand's constitutional monarchy, had been informed of the coup prior to its implementation, sources said.

Thaksin, who reportedly left New York for London where he owns an apartment building, attempted to derail the coup by declaring a state of emergency in a televised broadcast. The broadcast, on Thai Channel 9, was cut off by the military, which had seized the airwaves by 10 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Tuesday.

The Administrative Reform Council immediately suspended the cabinet, the Senate, the constitutional court and the 1997 constitution, apparently to pave the way for amendments largely aimed at preventing the return of a populist premier like Thaksin.