support from rural constituencies, unprecedented in Thailand's history. Opposition to the TRT government rose in Bangkok after Thaksin's family announced their tax-free sale of their 49.6 percent stake in Shin Corp to Temasek for almost 73.3 billion baht on 23 January 2006. The People's Alliance for Democracy began a series of anti-government protests. Several Democrat Party leaders also joined the PAD, which accused Thaksin of disloyalty to the throne and asked King Bhumibol to appoint a replacement prime minister. Thaksin Shinawatra dissolved the House of Representatives on 24 February 2006 and called for an election. On 24 March 2006, Abhisit Vejjajiva publicly backed the People's Alliance for Democracy's call for a royally-appointed government. Bhumibol, in a speech on 26 April 2006, responded, "Asking for a royally-appointed prime minister is undemocratic. It is, pardon me, a mess. It is irrational". Abhisit and his opposition parties allies boycotted the April 2006 elections, claiming it "diverted public attention" from Thaksin's corruption charges and his sale of Shin Corp. The boycott caused a constitutional crisis, prompting Thaksin to call another round of elections in October 2006, which the Democrats did not boycott. The army seized power on 19 September and cancelled the upcoming election. 2006 coup and military government Abhisit voiced displeasure at the 2006 coup that overthrew Thaksin, but otherwise did not protest it or the military junta that ruled Thailand for over a year. A fact-finding panel at the attorney-general's office found that the Democrat Party bribed other parties to boycott the April 2006 parliamentary election, which forced a constitutional crisis, and voted to dissolve the party. It also found that Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party bribed other parties to contest the election. A junta tribunal acquitted Abhisit and the Democrats of the vote fraud charges, but convicted and banned the Thai Rak Thai party and its entire executive team. Abhisit supported the junta's 2007 Constitution, calling it an improvement on the 1997 Constitution. The military junta organized general elections for 23 December 2007. Despite being banned from politics for five years, Thaksin Shinawatra was popular in his former support bases in the central, north, and northeastern regions and attempted to maintain an active role in Thai politics by supporting the People's Power Party, which had become the successor party of the banned TRT. Abhisit promoted populist policies in his party's campaign as the Democrat Party's platform in the 2007 parliamentary election.