Setback for army: Leader of victorious People Power Party (PPP), Samak Sundaravej making a victory sign. Picture: Reuters
Monday, December 24, 2007
ALLIES of deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra claimed victory in yesterday's elections, setting the stage for the billionaire's political comeback more than a year after his ouster in a coup.
The pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP) fell short of an absolute majority in parliament, according to the election authority, forcing its leader Samak Sundaravej to seek partners for a coalition government.
"It will definitely be a coalition government. We will discuss with the parties who have similar policy platforms to us," PPP's secretary general Surapong Suebwonglee said.
The results were a repudiation of the military's relentless efforts to wipe out Thaksin's political influence, 15 months after the generals seized power in a bloodless coup, an analyst said.
"The results underlined that people still support Thaksin and want him to come back," said Ukrist Pathmanand, a professor of political science at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "It also showed that Thaksin was still popular, especially among people living in northeastern provinces."
The exit polls gave PPP at least 58 seats more than its nearest rival, the Democrat Party.
Election authorities planned to release unofficial results by midnight, but Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would not dispute the PPP's right to form a coalition.
"So now we are in second place, and forming a coalition government is for the one that got the most," he told reporters, but later added they were still waiting for the official results.
PPP appeared to come out ahead in the polls, even though one third of the country, including Thaksin's rural strongholds, are still under martial law.
Army-backed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont insisted the polls were fair, and PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said Sunday that he believed election authorities had dealt with the party even-handedly so far.
Thaksin has not returned to Thailand since the coup, living instead in self-imposed exile in Britain, where he bought the Manchester City football club.
The junta dissolved Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party and banned him from political office, but the man who made a fortune in telecoms has remained a dominant and divisive figure in Thai politics. PPP campaigned on promises to bring back Thaksin's economic policies and to allow the exiled leader to return to Thailand.
Few analysts believe the election will resolve deep divisions between anti-Thaksin urban dwellers and the rural masses, who remain loyal to the deposed leader.
PPP draws most of its support from farmers, the majority of Thailand's 64 million population, who remember Thaksin's efforts to boost the rural economy during his five-year rule.
The Democrat Party is popular among Bangkok's middle-class, who last year spearheaded anti-Thaksin protests that culminated in the coup.
The military has already taken steps to ensure its continued influence over the new government.
The generals tossed out Thailand's 1997 constitution, widely hailed as the most democratic the kingdom had ever known, and passed an army-backed charter in a referendum in August.
The United States congratulated Thailand on a "crucial step toward a return to elected government" after its "free and fair" parliamentary vote.
"The United States welcomes initial reports indicating that Thailand's parliamentary election today was conducted in a free and fair manner and congratulates the people of Thailand on taking this crucial step toward a return to elected government," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "The Thai people turned out at the polls to show their support for a return to elected government," he said in a statement.(AFP)
The pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP) fell short of an absolute majority in parliament, according to the election authority, forcing its leader Samak Sundaravej to seek partners for a coalition government.
"It will definitely be a coalition government. We will discuss with the parties who have similar policy platforms to us," PPP's secretary general Surapong Suebwonglee said.
The results were a repudiation of the military's relentless efforts to wipe out Thaksin's political influence, 15 months after the generals seized power in a bloodless coup, an analyst said.
"The results underlined that people still support Thaksin and want him to come back," said Ukrist Pathmanand, a professor of political science at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "It also showed that Thaksin was still popular, especially among people living in northeastern provinces."
The exit polls gave PPP at least 58 seats more than its nearest rival, the Democrat Party.
Election authorities planned to release unofficial results by midnight, but Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would not dispute the PPP's right to form a coalition.
"So now we are in second place, and forming a coalition government is for the one that got the most," he told reporters, but later added they were still waiting for the official results.
PPP appeared to come out ahead in the polls, even though one third of the country, including Thaksin's rural strongholds, are still under martial law.
Army-backed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont insisted the polls were fair, and PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said Sunday that he believed election authorities had dealt with the party even-handedly so far.
Thaksin has not returned to Thailand since the coup, living instead in self-imposed exile in Britain, where he bought the Manchester City football club.
The junta dissolved Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party and banned him from political office, but the man who made a fortune in telecoms has remained a dominant and divisive figure in Thai politics. PPP campaigned on promises to bring back Thaksin's economic policies and to allow the exiled leader to return to Thailand.
Few analysts believe the election will resolve deep divisions between anti-Thaksin urban dwellers and the rural masses, who remain loyal to the deposed leader.
PPP draws most of its support from farmers, the majority of Thailand's 64 million population, who remember Thaksin's efforts to boost the rural economy during his five-year rule.
The Democrat Party is popular among Bangkok's middle-class, who last year spearheaded anti-Thaksin protests that culminated in the coup.
The military has already taken steps to ensure its continued influence over the new government.
The generals tossed out Thailand's 1997 constitution, widely hailed as the most democratic the kingdom had ever known, and passed an army-backed charter in a referendum in August.
The United States congratulated Thailand on a "crucial step toward a return to elected government" after its "free and fair" parliamentary vote.
"The United States welcomes initial reports indicating that Thailand's parliamentary election today was conducted in a free and fair manner and congratulates the people of Thailand on taking this crucial step toward a return to elected government," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "The Thai people turned out at the polls to show their support for a return to elected government," he said in a statement.(AFP)
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