About 2,000 members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) or the so-called "yellow-shirts" on Sunday assembled to assess the political situation and decide whether to set up a political party.

The two-day gathering, started on Sunday, was also to celebrate the first anniversary of the beginning of the group's 193-day anti- government protest last year and to discuss issues relating to the possibility of granting amnesty to banned politicians and the government's plan to amend the 2007 constitution.

Core leaders of the PAD have agreed to set up a new political party, with Sondhi Limthongkul, one of five core leaders of the PAD, expected to become its first leader and the four other co- leaders party executives, the Nation newspaper on Sunday quoted political sources as saying.

At the gathering on Sunday, Sondhi said that if the political party, a tool used to establish a new political system, was found, its members will be asked to donate money for the group, probably one person 100 Baht (US$2.9) per month.

A general election is expected at the latest some time next year as the coalition government's stability is weakening. The new PAD party, which has yet to be named, is expected to win between 30 and 40 seats in the next general election and become one of the "middle-sized parties", the Nation news website reported.

However, Sondhi, who narrowly escaped an assassination last month, denied that money from the PAD members will be used to buy votes in the next general election, but will be used to spread knowledge and wisdom among its supporters.

Suriyasai Katasila, another PAD core leader, said Saturday that the group had yet to register any political party and that it had nothing to do with the group of people who had registered political parties with names suggesting connections to the PAD. Those include Thien Hang Dharma (Candles of Dharma), Prachaphiwat (Civic Revolution), and Phanthamit (Alliance).

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2009)