Thai parliament to meet amid unrest

The Thai parliament is to convene a special session aimed at resolving the country's political crisis that erupted into street violence last week.Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister, has called for the legislature to hold two days of 12-hour sessions.His government issued a statement saying the debate starting on Wednesday would "give all sides an opportunity to propose solutions'' to the political crisis first sparked three years ago by the military coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister.Abhisit also said that legislators could propose amendments to the constitution or law enforcement in the country that could help end the political impasse.Al Jazeera's Marge Ortigas, reporting from Bangkok, said Abhisit was attempting to reconcile all sides of Thai society, and had asked for a constructive exercise, free from criticism and sarcasm.In the most recent round of protests, Thaksin's supporters and soldiers fought street battles in the capital, Bangkok, that left two people dead and about 130 injured.The government has extended an emergency law first imposed on April 12, saying that it was still needed amid reports of more protests planned by anti-government demonstrators.