Thai government maintains February 2 election date: deputy PM

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's caretaker government has confirmed a general election will be held as planned on February 2 after a meeting to discuss an Election Commission proposal to postpone it, a deputy prime minister said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had invited political parties and anti-government protest groups led by Suthep Thaugsuban to discuss the date, although most appear to have stayed away from the meeting. "We believe the election will bring the situation back to normal. We can see that the support of Mr. Suthep is declining. When he is doing something against the law, most people do not support that," Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana told reporters. (Reporting by Andrew R.C. Marshall; Editing by Alan Raybould)