Thai opposition to boycott 2 February elections 21 December 2013 Last updated at 11:00 Thailand's main opposition Democrat Party has announced it will boycott snap elections set for 2 February. Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told a news conference it would not be fielding candidates, saying: "Thai politics is at a failed stage." Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called the election earlier this month in a bid to end weeks of mass protests. The head of the Thai army has warned the country's political divisions could "trigger a civil war." General Prayuth Chan-ocha has proposed a "people's assembly" - made up of civilians from both sides, not the leaders, to heal the divisions. Thailand is facing its most serious political turmoil since 2010. At his news conference, Mr Abhisit told reporters his party had agreed it would not field candidates in the snap elections. "The Thai people have lost their faith in the democratic system," he said. The prime minister dissolved parliament and called the election on 9 December, in a bid she said to avoid violence on the streets and "to give back the power to the Thai people." Her Pheu Thai party has a majority in parliament, and draws significant support from Thailand's rural areas. It is seen as well-placed to win February's election.