"We are working against time, " says Abhisit Vejjajiva, a minister attached to Chuan's office.
Abhisit says that two years in the opposition wilderness have enabled Chuan to mature politically.
At the same time Mr Abhisit hopes to push on with a reconciliation plan.
ECONOMIST: A vote in the capital, despite a state of emergency
The results were a victory, of sorts, for Mr Abhisit, Thailand's fourth leader in a year.
The army, which stands behind Mr Abhisit, has a long history of covering its tracks.
ECONOMIST: And finding that, in Thailand, they no longer fit together
Mr Abhisit is typical of the elite in his frustration with the red shirts.
With an increased majority in parliament, Mr Abhisit appears better placed to outlast his predecessors.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, the present prime minister, rejected their ultimatum but said he would listen to their grievances.
Nor will they set much store by Mr Abhisit's demand for an independent investigation into the violence.
ECONOMIST: And finding that, in Thailand, they no longer fit together
This complacent analysis flatters Mr Abhisit (the staunch democrat actually scurried to take refuge in an army barracks).
As the demonstrations raged, Abhisit's government imposed a state of emergency, putting the military in charge of security.
In a broadcast on December 26th Mr Abhisit hinted that the poll will take place sooner rather than later.
Mr Abhisit's dependence on the generals means he is unlikely to be able to probe army misdeeds very thoroughly.
Thailand's new, fresh-faced, Oxford-educated prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, says that the government will investigate the allegations against the army.
Mr Abhisit was unable to confirm his man, who is currently acting chief.
Abhisit has pledged to hold fresh elections before the end of this year.
Mr Abhisit has wagged his finger at the group's bad behaviour, but is unlikely to bring it to heel.
ECONOMIST: Thailand��s new prime minister faces a near-impossible job
For a start, Mr Abhisit lacks a popular mandate to lead his country.
ECONOMIST: Thailand��s new prime minister faces a near-impossible job
Mr Abhisit has promised to bring protesters who broke the law to justice.
Their zeal certainly undercuts Mr Abhisit's feeble efforts to unite a polarised nation.
Mr Abhisit and his key government ally, the finance minister, Korn Chatikavanij, say they are cosmopolitan, fiscally conservative market liberals.
Not President-elect Barack Obama, of course, but Abhisit Vejjajiva, a British-educated career politician aged 44, now Thailand's 27th prime minister.
ECONOMIST: Thailand��s new prime minister faces a near-impossible job
But the army is less keen, and having saved Mr Abhisit from the mob, it will probably get its way.
ECONOMIST: A vote in the capital, despite a state of emergency
Whereas Mr Thaksin broke bread with drivers and listened to their gripes, an aloof Mr Abhisit merely sent his aides.
ECONOMIST: The capital��s crucial two-wheeled political class
And I'd like to thank my friends, Prime Minister Lee, for hosting, and Prime Minister Abhisit, for co-chairing this historic meeting.
Meanwhile, Mr Abhisit came under renewed pressure on Monday as the parliament debated a censure motion against him and several ministers.
"We are not signaling we won't cooperate, but the IMF has to reassess things also, " says Democrat Party spokesman Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva later told CNN in an exclusive interview with Rivers that he would bring those responsible to account.
Reasonably enough, Mr Abhisit has said that his first priority in office will be to restore economic confidence after months of chaos.
ECONOMIST: Thailand��s new prime minister faces a near-impossible job
Abhisit adds that the party itself has also changed for the better.
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