A group of businessmen, researchers, and financiers, who call itself as the Alliance of Neutral People for Democracy and Peace, has called on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to take a rest from his political career for a while and appoint his deputy to take his job in a pre-election period, the official Thai News Agency said on Monday.

Anusorn Thammajai, President of BT Asset Management Co., who is the group's coordinator, said the political situation appeared to escalate with the opposition bloc boycotting the snap election and mounting distrust about the fair election.

As well, Thaksin had become a center of conflicts in the society because there are people who like and dislike him.

For the sake of the country's peace and order, he said, Thaksin should take a rest from the political career for a while and appoint his deputy as the caretaker premier on the eve of the election.

Should the political tension continue unabated, he said, the group would call for a postponement of the election and a discussion by all sides.

The group is willing to coordinate in organizing a meeting to find a way to form the provisional government tasked for implementing the second political reform and organizing the election.

Anusorn said the group would submit a letter after the election, requesting the new government, senators, and independent organizations to select a committee tasked for carrying out the second political reform, amend the constitution, and holding a new election as soon as possible.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2006)