Yingluck ready to resign on Sunday but brother Thaksin talked her out of it

Yingluck Shinawatra almost gave in to the demands of the anti government protestors on Sunday when she was ready to give in her resignation. However at the last minute the caretaker PM’s brother, ex Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called her to ask her to stay on and push for new elections on February 2^nd.

On Sunday the day before the shutdown began, sources have revealed that Yingluck had a phone conversation with army chief Prayuth Chan Ocha during which she told the commander she was tired of the political tension and asked for his recommendation. However the chief declined to give her any advice and told her that it was up to her to make her own decision, if anything went wrong, it would be her responsibility he said.

Yingluck told Prayuth she would give an answer by 4pm Sunday. Many expected she would announce her resignation, the source said.

Later Yingluck called a meeting with executives from the Pheu Thai party, and Thaksin over Skype, they said the Constitution did not allow her to resign, according to the sources. If she did resign, the protesters would ask the court to rule that she had violated the Penal Code’s Article 157, which punishes officials who abandon their duty. She would face a jail term, he warned.

Separately, Army chief Prayuth told his subordinates to prevent violence during the anti-government protest. To protect themselves from being attacked by unknown parties, soldiers should dress in plain clothes while guarding the many buildings of government agencies and their command posts, according to a source.

The military has deployed troops to act as security guards to many government agency buildings such as the Prime Minister’s Office and the Government Complex, as well as protest sites

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