Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced he was stepping down from his post on April 4th, after months of peaceful but adamant protests in Bangkok. His resignation followed closely on the election, which his party Thai Rak Thai won, but with a much smaller margin of approval than in any previous elections, and in which record numbers of abstention votes were cast in protest. The opposition parties had boycotted the election, essentially making it a referendum on Thaksin's leadership. There were enough abstentions in 39 districts that Thai Rak Thai members were unable to claim victory - parliament will be unable to convene until fresh elections are held in those districts.   more »