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(CNN) -- Thailand is bracing for a critical showdown, as anti-government protesters vow to occupy key Bangkok locations for a month beginning Monday, in a massive show of political might intended to shut down the capital and force an end to the political deadlock gripping the nation.
1. Why are the protesters demonstrating?
Since the government's botched attempt to pass a controversial amnesty bill in November, protesters have been taking to the streets and occupying government buildings, calling for an end to the elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. They accuse Yingluck of being a puppet of her brother, the ousted prime minister and telecommunications billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in a 2006 military coup.
In response to the crisis, Yingluck dissolved parliament on December 9, calling new elections to be held on February 2. But the move failed to mollify protesters, with the opposition Democrat Party, closely aligned with the protest movement, announcing a boycott of the vote.
Led by Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister and Democrat MP who resigned his parliamentary seat in November to spearhead the protests, the demonstrators are demanding that no elections be held until major political reforms are implemented.