BANGKOK, March 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan to spend nearly 2.2 billion baht (56 million U.S. dollars) on the upcoming general election as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra stressed that the poll would be clean and fair.

    Danuporn Punnakan, deputy government spokesman was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying that the cabinet gave a green light to the Election Commission's proposal to spend some 2.15 billion bath on preparations for the April 2 poll.

    He said the money would be allocated from the current fiscal budget.

    "The prime minister stressed two important points to the Election Commissioners," according to Danuporn. "One is to persuade voters to practice their voting rights, and the other is to organize a clean and fair election," said Danuporn. Enditem