Showing posts with label Thailand election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thailand election. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
PM Hun Sen Congratulates Pro-Thaksin Party for Winning Sunday's Parliamentary Elections
Hun Sen and his former golf buddy, Thaksin ShinawatraBy Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 December 2007
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday congratulates Thailand Samak Sundaraveg's People Power Party (PPP) for winning the general elections Sunday.
The People Power Party (PPP), which supports ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 232 of the parliament's 480 seats. It defeated a party supported by the generals who ousted Mr. Thaksin in a coup 15 months ago and banned him from politics.
PPP leader Samak Sundaravej is expected to become the next prime minister of Thailand.
In a speech at Preah Vihear Suor temple inauguration, PM Hun Sen said the PPP's victory is from a free and fair election.
" Even though this is Thailand's internal affairs, but as Thailand's neighboring country, and as partner in ASEAN, we express our thanks for the victory at the election, for our friend holding a fair, free and just election, which can be accepted by all."
Hun Sen says he hopes that relationship between Cambodia and Thailand will be strengthened further under the new Thai government.
" Now, we are waiting to work with the civilian government which will be formed in the future. The one who (wins) from the free, fair, and just election, and (we) hope the relationship with Cambodia will be strengthened further, while working with the new Prime Minister and the new government."
Human rights Ad Hoc's director, Thun Saray says that the strengthening of ties between the two countries is positive in curbing human rights violations in Cambodia.
"If the Thai government is a government that adheres to democratic principles and respects human rights, I think it can help boost the Cambodian people's rights and freedom, who are illegal aliens, and it can help in the respect of some basic rights, and the alleviation of the bilateral relations along the border, if that government is formed from the election, with the respect for the rights, and true democracy."
Human rights officials say there are over 200,000 Cambodians working legally in Thailand and there are thousands more working there illegally.
The People Power Party (PPP), which supports ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 232 of the parliament's 480 seats. It defeated a party supported by the generals who ousted Mr. Thaksin in a coup 15 months ago and banned him from politics.
PPP leader Samak Sundaravej is expected to become the next prime minister of Thailand.
In a speech at Preah Vihear Suor temple inauguration, PM Hun Sen said the PPP's victory is from a free and fair election.
" Even though this is Thailand's internal affairs, but as Thailand's neighboring country, and as partner in ASEAN, we express our thanks for the victory at the election, for our friend holding a fair, free and just election, which can be accepted by all."
Hun Sen says he hopes that relationship between Cambodia and Thailand will be strengthened further under the new Thai government.
" Now, we are waiting to work with the civilian government which will be formed in the future. The one who (wins) from the free, fair, and just election, and (we) hope the relationship with Cambodia will be strengthened further, while working with the new Prime Minister and the new government."
Human rights Ad Hoc's director, Thun Saray says that the strengthening of ties between the two countries is positive in curbing human rights violations in Cambodia.
"If the Thai government is a government that adheres to democratic principles and respects human rights, I think it can help boost the Cambodian people's rights and freedom, who are illegal aliens, and it can help in the respect of some basic rights, and the alleviation of the bilateral relations along the border, if that government is formed from the election, with the respect for the rights, and true democracy."
Human rights officials say there are over 200,000 Cambodians working legally in Thailand and there are thousands more working there illegally.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Former Premier’s Party Wins Thai Vote
Samak Sundaravej, the leader of the People Power Party, at a press conference in Bangkok on Sunday. (Photo: Chumsak Kanoknan/Getty Images)December 24, 2007
By SETH MYDANS and THOMAS FULLER The New York Times (USA)
BANGKOK — A party that backs former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won a parliamentary election on Sunday, defeating a party backed by the generals who ousted him in a coup 15 months ago.
The election result was a repudiation of the generals, who had worked hard to discredit Mr. Thaksin and neutralize his supporters. But the shape of the next government remained in question.
With 95 percent of the votes counted, the pro-Thaksin People Power Party had won 228 of the 480 seats in Parliament, less than a majority but enough to try to form a coalition government.
The Democrat Party, backed by the generals and the political establishment, won 166 seats.
The strong showing means that Mr. Thaksin and his supporters will remain a force in Thai politics whether or not they form a government, and ensures that a struggle for power will continue in this deeply divided country.
The military and political establishment oppose the pro-Thaksin party, known as the P.P.P., meaning that other parties might come under intense pressure not to join it in a coalition.
“It’s quite clear that P.P.P. in the next few days will try to form a government,” said Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political analyst at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. “But their legitimacy will be challenged by the Democrats and other parties.”
The P.P.P. leader, Samak Sundaravej, said that he had received congratulations by telephone from Mr. Thaksin and that he had already approached smaller parties to discuss forming a coalition government. One message of the vote, he said, is that if anyone is thinking of staging another coup, “Please think carefully.”
The P.P.P. said during the campaign that it would bring Mr. Thaksin back from his self-exile in London, where he is believed to have remained politically active behind the scenes.
The leader of the Democrat Party, Abhisit Vejjajiva, conceded defeat, saying: “Now it is the duty of the leaders of the P.P.P. to invite other parties to form a government. And it is the right of other party leaders to make a decision on what is the best for the country.”
He added, “If the P.P.P. is unable to form a government, the Democrat Party is ready to take the lead and form a government.”
However, analysts said the win was not as overwhelming as it at first appeared, noting that the Democrat Party seemed to have won in the most crucial area, Bangkok. And the vote was close on slates of candidates listed by their party affiliations.
During the rule of the junta, a court disbanded Mr. Thaksin’s former party, Thai Rak Thai, for election irregularities and barred him and 110 other party executives from politics for five years. The P.P.P. said it would pardon them all; under Thailand’s election laws, though, Mr. Thaksin could not become prime minister in the current government because he would not be an elected member of Parliament.
The vote was seen as part of a long-running clash of cultures that became acute during Mr. Thaksin’s six years in power. With a broad array of populist programs, he mobilized the electoral power of the country’s rural majority, threatening the traditional domination of an established elite that includes the bureaucracy and military.
“I voted for Thaksin’s party,” said Siriporn Buntam, the owner of a small restaurant in the rice-growing province of Lopburi, west of Bangkok. “Only when he was prime minister did we really get attention,” she said.
Sanit Chutipattana, 58, a salesman in Yala, in the Democrat Party’s stronghold in southern Thailand, also supported Mr. Thaksin. “Thaksin is smarter, better in economics,” he said. “In the past I had voted for Democrats, but this time I changed my mind. It’s time to change.”
The groundswell of support for Mr. Thaksin became evident as the campaign proceeded. The appointed civilian government had been seen as ineffectual, and the Democrats failed to capitalize on Mr. Thaksin’s troubles.
When they seized power, the generals said they were doing so in the name of democracy and promised to return the country to civilian rule. But they produced a new Constitution that weakened democratic institutions and shifted power from the executive branch while guaranteeing the influence of the military.
Under an internal security law adopted last week, the military will have the power to intervene in the political process without consultation with the civilian government.
Last August, as the law was being drafted, Human Rights Watch, which is based in New York, branded it “a silent coup.”
The election result was a repudiation of the generals, who had worked hard to discredit Mr. Thaksin and neutralize his supporters. But the shape of the next government remained in question.
With 95 percent of the votes counted, the pro-Thaksin People Power Party had won 228 of the 480 seats in Parliament, less than a majority but enough to try to form a coalition government.
The Democrat Party, backed by the generals and the political establishment, won 166 seats.
The strong showing means that Mr. Thaksin and his supporters will remain a force in Thai politics whether or not they form a government, and ensures that a struggle for power will continue in this deeply divided country.
The military and political establishment oppose the pro-Thaksin party, known as the P.P.P., meaning that other parties might come under intense pressure not to join it in a coalition.
“It’s quite clear that P.P.P. in the next few days will try to form a government,” said Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political analyst at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. “But their legitimacy will be challenged by the Democrats and other parties.”
The P.P.P. leader, Samak Sundaravej, said that he had received congratulations by telephone from Mr. Thaksin and that he had already approached smaller parties to discuss forming a coalition government. One message of the vote, he said, is that if anyone is thinking of staging another coup, “Please think carefully.”
The P.P.P. said during the campaign that it would bring Mr. Thaksin back from his self-exile in London, where he is believed to have remained politically active behind the scenes.
The leader of the Democrat Party, Abhisit Vejjajiva, conceded defeat, saying: “Now it is the duty of the leaders of the P.P.P. to invite other parties to form a government. And it is the right of other party leaders to make a decision on what is the best for the country.”
He added, “If the P.P.P. is unable to form a government, the Democrat Party is ready to take the lead and form a government.”
However, analysts said the win was not as overwhelming as it at first appeared, noting that the Democrat Party seemed to have won in the most crucial area, Bangkok. And the vote was close on slates of candidates listed by their party affiliations.
During the rule of the junta, a court disbanded Mr. Thaksin’s former party, Thai Rak Thai, for election irregularities and barred him and 110 other party executives from politics for five years. The P.P.P. said it would pardon them all; under Thailand’s election laws, though, Mr. Thaksin could not become prime minister in the current government because he would not be an elected member of Parliament.
The vote was seen as part of a long-running clash of cultures that became acute during Mr. Thaksin’s six years in power. With a broad array of populist programs, he mobilized the electoral power of the country’s rural majority, threatening the traditional domination of an established elite that includes the bureaucracy and military.
“I voted for Thaksin’s party,” said Siriporn Buntam, the owner of a small restaurant in the rice-growing province of Lopburi, west of Bangkok. “Only when he was prime minister did we really get attention,” she said.
Sanit Chutipattana, 58, a salesman in Yala, in the Democrat Party’s stronghold in southern Thailand, also supported Mr. Thaksin. “Thaksin is smarter, better in economics,” he said. “In the past I had voted for Democrats, but this time I changed my mind. It’s time to change.”
The groundswell of support for Mr. Thaksin became evident as the campaign proceeded. The appointed civilian government had been seen as ineffectual, and the Democrats failed to capitalize on Mr. Thaksin’s troubles.
When they seized power, the generals said they were doing so in the name of democracy and promised to return the country to civilian rule. But they produced a new Constitution that weakened democratic institutions and shifted power from the executive branch while guaranteeing the influence of the military.
Under an internal security law adopted last week, the military will have the power to intervene in the political process without consultation with the civilian government.
Last August, as the law was being drafted, Human Rights Watch, which is based in New York, branded it “a silent coup.”
Thaksin loyalists claim victory in Thailand's 1st post-coup election
The Canadian Press
BANGKOK, Thailand - Allies of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared victory Sunday in Thailand's first election since the military coup that deposed him.
With 95 per cent of the vote counted, the pro-Thaksin People's Power Party had 228 seats in the parliament's 480-seat lower house, the Election Commission announced. The rival Democrat Party, favoured by the movement that toppled Thaksin, won 166 seats, it said.
A complete tally was not expected until Monday but the PPP's failure to win an absolute majority means the Democrat Party could attempt to form a coalition government with some of the 38 other parties that ran, despite the pro-Thaksin side's stronger showing.
That raises the possibility of political instability that would deepen the country's two-year political crisis.
Intense negotiating is expected before a government is formed and a new prime minister announced.
"It is clear that compared to other political parties, the PPP has won the highest number of votes," PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said at a news conference. He said Thaksin, who was in Hong Kong, had telephoned after hearing the results.
"Thaksin said congratulations," Samak said, inviting "any political parties" to join the PPP to form a coalition government.
"If the PPP succeeds in forming the government, the Democrat Party is ready to be in the opposition to protect the people's interest. However, if the PPP fails to form a government, the Democrat Party is also ready to form a government," said party leader Abhisit Vejajjiva.
Samak said he expected Thaksin to return to Thailand after a government is formed, which he said might take about a month. Samak said that if possible, the PPP would grant amnesty to Thaksin and 110 other executives of his now-disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, who were barred from office for five years.
"They didn't do anything wrong," Samak said.
The prospect of Thaksin's return has raised fears of another coup by the powerful military.
Last week, the military-installed parliament approved a controversial internal security law that critics warned will let the military keep a grip on power even after the election, which was billed by the government as a return to democracy after 15 months of military rule.
The vote pitted the PPP - widely seen as a reincarnation of the Thai Rak Thai Party - against the Democrat Party, the country's oldest.
The top rivals for next prime minister are a study in stark contrasts.
Samak, 72, is a veteran conservative who has been charged with involvement in corrupt deals while serving as Bangkok's mayor. His earthy style appeals to many, however, and he is seen as Thaksin's proxy.
Critics say Abhisit, 43, British-born and educated at Eton and Oxford, is more comfortable in elite circles than wooing crucial rural voters.
Thaksin's opponents sought to eradicate his political influence by measures such as changing the constitution to limit big political parties' power, and prosecuting the former prime minister on corruption-related charges. And an Election Commission spokesman, Ruangroj Jomsueb, said the commission was investigating more than 100 cases of alleged irregularities, mostly related to vote-buying, which was reportedly rampant in rural areas.
Some victors could lose their seats if found guilty of electoral violations.
Thailand's two years of intense political instability began with large-scale public demonstrations demanding Thaksin resign over allegations of corruption and abuse of power. The protest culminated in a bloodless coup in September 2006.
Thaksin, a 58-year-old billionaire, faces a slew of corruption charges but remains popular among the rural masses and lower income urban residents to whom he offered cheap loans, virtually free medical care and village-based development programs.
He lives in exile in England, where he owns the Manchester City soccer club. The PPP campaigned on a platform of bringing him back and continuing his populist policies.
Voters among the 45 million eligible cast ballots for about 5,000 candidates.
"The economy was prosperous when Thaksin was prime minister and I voted for the People's Power Party because the party leader promised to bring Thaksin back to the country," Pranee Teamsri, who owns a tailor shop on Bangkok's outskirts, said after emerging from a polling station.
But others in Bangkok, where the Democrat Party is strong, criticized Thaksin's regime for its corruption and said the former leader had left Thailand in "a mess."
With 95 per cent of the vote counted, the pro-Thaksin People's Power Party had 228 seats in the parliament's 480-seat lower house, the Election Commission announced. The rival Democrat Party, favoured by the movement that toppled Thaksin, won 166 seats, it said.
A complete tally was not expected until Monday but the PPP's failure to win an absolute majority means the Democrat Party could attempt to form a coalition government with some of the 38 other parties that ran, despite the pro-Thaksin side's stronger showing.
That raises the possibility of political instability that would deepen the country's two-year political crisis.
Intense negotiating is expected before a government is formed and a new prime minister announced.
"It is clear that compared to other political parties, the PPP has won the highest number of votes," PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said at a news conference. He said Thaksin, who was in Hong Kong, had telephoned after hearing the results.
"Thaksin said congratulations," Samak said, inviting "any political parties" to join the PPP to form a coalition government.
"If the PPP succeeds in forming the government, the Democrat Party is ready to be in the opposition to protect the people's interest. However, if the PPP fails to form a government, the Democrat Party is also ready to form a government," said party leader Abhisit Vejajjiva.
Samak said he expected Thaksin to return to Thailand after a government is formed, which he said might take about a month. Samak said that if possible, the PPP would grant amnesty to Thaksin and 110 other executives of his now-disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, who were barred from office for five years.
"They didn't do anything wrong," Samak said.
The prospect of Thaksin's return has raised fears of another coup by the powerful military.
Last week, the military-installed parliament approved a controversial internal security law that critics warned will let the military keep a grip on power even after the election, which was billed by the government as a return to democracy after 15 months of military rule.
The vote pitted the PPP - widely seen as a reincarnation of the Thai Rak Thai Party - against the Democrat Party, the country's oldest.
The top rivals for next prime minister are a study in stark contrasts.
Samak, 72, is a veteran conservative who has been charged with involvement in corrupt deals while serving as Bangkok's mayor. His earthy style appeals to many, however, and he is seen as Thaksin's proxy.
Critics say Abhisit, 43, British-born and educated at Eton and Oxford, is more comfortable in elite circles than wooing crucial rural voters.
Thaksin's opponents sought to eradicate his political influence by measures such as changing the constitution to limit big political parties' power, and prosecuting the former prime minister on corruption-related charges. And an Election Commission spokesman, Ruangroj Jomsueb, said the commission was investigating more than 100 cases of alleged irregularities, mostly related to vote-buying, which was reportedly rampant in rural areas.
Some victors could lose their seats if found guilty of electoral violations.
Thailand's two years of intense political instability began with large-scale public demonstrations demanding Thaksin resign over allegations of corruption and abuse of power. The protest culminated in a bloodless coup in September 2006.
Thaksin, a 58-year-old billionaire, faces a slew of corruption charges but remains popular among the rural masses and lower income urban residents to whom he offered cheap loans, virtually free medical care and village-based development programs.
He lives in exile in England, where he owns the Manchester City soccer club. The PPP campaigned on a platform of bringing him back and continuing his populist policies.
Voters among the 45 million eligible cast ballots for about 5,000 candidates.
"The economy was prosperous when Thaksin was prime minister and I voted for the People's Power Party because the party leader promised to bring Thaksin back to the country," Pranee Teamsri, who owns a tailor shop on Bangkok's outskirts, said after emerging from a polling station.
But others in Bangkok, where the Democrat Party is strong, criticized Thaksin's regime for its corruption and said the former leader had left Thailand in "a mess."
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Polls: Thaksin Allies Win in Thailand
Sunday December 23, 2007
By DENIS D. GRAY
Associated Press Writer
By DENIS D. GRAY
Associated Press Writer
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, deposed, exiled and allegedly corrupt, was poised for a comeback-by-proxy as exit polls showed his allies won Sunday's post-coup election.
The outcome is likely to deepen the country's two-year political crisis.
The information from Thailand's two leading polling agencies, however, differed on whether the pro-Thaksin People's Power Party had won an absolute majority in the 480-seat lower house of parliament. The final results might still allow the PPP's opponents to form a coalition government.
Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006 but remains popular among the rural majority. PPP campaigned on a platform of bringing Thaksin back from exile in London and continue his populist policies.
Unofficial results were expected before midnight Sunday in an election billed as a return to democracy after 15 months of military-backed government.
A Dusit poll for Bangkok's Suan Dusit Rajabhat University forecast that PPP had won a majority of 256 seats, compared to 162 for the rival Democrat Party. An Abac poll for Assumption University showed PPP had won 202 seats, falling short of an outright majority, with the Democrats taking 146.
The Dusit poll surveyed 341,000 voters nationwide before polling stations closed at 3 p.m. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Neither Abac's sampling error nor number of people surveyed were immediately released.
Voters among the 45 million eligible cast ballots for about 5,000 candidates from 39 political parties. The contest pitted the PPP, stacked by Thaksin supporters and adhering to his populist policies, against the Democrat Party, the country's oldest.
PPP leaders said Thaksin, who was watching the election from Hong Kong, would return to Thailand early next year, sparking fears of continued political turbulence and sharp polarization.
The top rivals for next prime minister are a study in stark contrasts.
People's Power Party head Samak Sundaravej, 72, is an acid-tongued, ultra-rightist dubbed a political dinosaur by the local press. He has been charged with involvement in corrupt deals while serving as Bangkok's mayor. But he is seen as Thaksin's proxy and his earthy style appeals to many.
The 43-year-old Abhisit Vejjajiva, who leads the Democrats, is regarded as an intelligent, honest politician but lacking the common touch needed to connect with the mass electorate. English-born and educated at Eton and Oxford, critics say he is more comfortable in elite circles than wooing the key rural voters.
``I voted for the Democrats with the hope that Mr. Abhisit, who is an honest man with a clean record, will be able to restore the slumping economy,'' said Narese Marsuk, a bank employee.
``The policy of the People's Power Party is the same as Thaksin's party so that is why many people like me voted for the PPP,'' said Samran Kalaween, a Bangkok suburban housewife.
Chalerm Yoobamrung, a parliamentary candidate of the People's Power Party, said at a final campaign rally that Thaksin would come home from his self-imposed exile in London on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14.
But speaking after casting his vote, Samak said only that some time after the election would be needed before Thaksin returns, adding that the former prime minister would have to face the criminal charges against him and stay out of politics.
Thaksin faces a slew of corruption charges but remains popular among the rural masses and lower income urban residents to whom he offered cheap loans, virtually free medical care and village based development schemes.
The prospect of Thaksin's return has raised fears of another coup by the powerful military.
The military-installed parliament recently approved a controversial internal security law that critics warned will allow the military to maintain a grip on power even after the election.
The new law will allow the Internal Security Operations Command, a key security watchdog, to order curfews, restrict freedom of movement and curb the powers of government officials in situations deemed harmful to national security.
The election comes after almost two years of intense political instability that began with popular demonstrations demanding that Thaksin step down because of alleged corruption and abuse of power. The protest culminated in the coup.
Thaksin, whose Thai Rak Thai Party took power in 2001, was returned to government in 2005 by a landslide victory that gave it an unprecedented absolute parliamentary majority.
After the coup, Thaksin, a 58-year-old billionaire, was barred from office for five years and charged with a barrage of corruption-related crimes. He lives in self-imposed exile in England, where he owns the Manchester City football club.
The outcome is likely to deepen the country's two-year political crisis.
The information from Thailand's two leading polling agencies, however, differed on whether the pro-Thaksin People's Power Party had won an absolute majority in the 480-seat lower house of parliament. The final results might still allow the PPP's opponents to form a coalition government.
Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006 but remains popular among the rural majority. PPP campaigned on a platform of bringing Thaksin back from exile in London and continue his populist policies.
Unofficial results were expected before midnight Sunday in an election billed as a return to democracy after 15 months of military-backed government.
A Dusit poll for Bangkok's Suan Dusit Rajabhat University forecast that PPP had won a majority of 256 seats, compared to 162 for the rival Democrat Party. An Abac poll for Assumption University showed PPP had won 202 seats, falling short of an outright majority, with the Democrats taking 146.
The Dusit poll surveyed 341,000 voters nationwide before polling stations closed at 3 p.m. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Neither Abac's sampling error nor number of people surveyed were immediately released.
Voters among the 45 million eligible cast ballots for about 5,000 candidates from 39 political parties. The contest pitted the PPP, stacked by Thaksin supporters and adhering to his populist policies, against the Democrat Party, the country's oldest.
PPP leaders said Thaksin, who was watching the election from Hong Kong, would return to Thailand early next year, sparking fears of continued political turbulence and sharp polarization.
The top rivals for next prime minister are a study in stark contrasts.
People's Power Party head Samak Sundaravej, 72, is an acid-tongued, ultra-rightist dubbed a political dinosaur by the local press. He has been charged with involvement in corrupt deals while serving as Bangkok's mayor. But he is seen as Thaksin's proxy and his earthy style appeals to many.
The 43-year-old Abhisit Vejjajiva, who leads the Democrats, is regarded as an intelligent, honest politician but lacking the common touch needed to connect with the mass electorate. English-born and educated at Eton and Oxford, critics say he is more comfortable in elite circles than wooing the key rural voters.
``I voted for the Democrats with the hope that Mr. Abhisit, who is an honest man with a clean record, will be able to restore the slumping economy,'' said Narese Marsuk, a bank employee.
``The policy of the People's Power Party is the same as Thaksin's party so that is why many people like me voted for the PPP,'' said Samran Kalaween, a Bangkok suburban housewife.
Chalerm Yoobamrung, a parliamentary candidate of the People's Power Party, said at a final campaign rally that Thaksin would come home from his self-imposed exile in London on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14.
But speaking after casting his vote, Samak said only that some time after the election would be needed before Thaksin returns, adding that the former prime minister would have to face the criminal charges against him and stay out of politics.
Thaksin faces a slew of corruption charges but remains popular among the rural masses and lower income urban residents to whom he offered cheap loans, virtually free medical care and village based development schemes.
The prospect of Thaksin's return has raised fears of another coup by the powerful military.
The military-installed parliament recently approved a controversial internal security law that critics warned will allow the military to maintain a grip on power even after the election.
The new law will allow the Internal Security Operations Command, a key security watchdog, to order curfews, restrict freedom of movement and curb the powers of government officials in situations deemed harmful to national security.
The election comes after almost two years of intense political instability that began with popular demonstrations demanding that Thaksin step down because of alleged corruption and abuse of power. The protest culminated in the coup.
Thaksin, whose Thai Rak Thai Party took power in 2001, was returned to government in 2005 by a landslide victory that gave it an unprecedented absolute parliamentary majority.
After the coup, Thaksin, a 58-year-old billionaire, was barred from office for five years and charged with a barrage of corruption-related crimes. He lives in self-imposed exile in England, where he owns the Manchester City football club.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Thais to vote in first post-coup election
Thailand's Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva speaks to his supporters during an election campaign rally in Bangkok December 21, 2007. Post-coup Thailand is gearing up for a general election on December 23. REUTERS/Stringer
Samak Sundaravej, leader of the People Power Party (PPP) addresses an election rally in Bangkok. Thousands of Thais filled two main parks in Bangkok for the final rallies ahead of weekend elections, which are meant to restore democracy after more than a year of military rule. (AFP/Saeed Khan)12-22-2007
BANGKOK (AFP)
Thailand was poised Saturday for the first election since last year's bloodless coup, under the close watch of the military and the looming shadow of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The generals who toppled Thaksin's twice-elected government in September 2006 say Sunday's polls will restore democracy in Thailand, where about 45.7 million people are eligible to vote.
But observers question how free and fair the elections can be as more than one-third of the country, including Thaksin's strongholds in rural northeastern provinces, is still under martial law.
"This is not a normal election. It is being held under pressure from the military," said Ukrist Pathmanand, professor of political science at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
"There have been no real policy discussions in this election. The only issue here is whether you love Thaksin or hate Thaksin," he said.
Despite living in London in self-imposed exile since the coup, Thaksin, 58, remains the dominant figure in Thai politics.
His political allies in the People Power Party (PPP) said at their final rally in Bangkok late Friday that Thaksin would return to Thailand for the first time on February 14, after a new government is formed.
"Thaksin said if he came back before the government is formed, he would be accused of trying to make more trouble," PPP's deputy leader Chalerm Yoobamrung told the cheering crowd.
On Saturday, the leader of the PPP's main rival Democrat Party, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said Thaksin should return to Thailand earlier.
"If I become prime minister, I will make contact with him. Thaksin should return before February 14," he told reporters in Bangkok.
Election activities subsided Saturday as the campaign officially closes at 6:00 pm (1100 GMT), while the Election Commission said it expected to release unofficial poll results by midnight Sunday.
The PPP has successfully rallied the remnants of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, which was disbanded by the military, and quickly moved to the top of opinion polls going into Sunday's election.
The party draws most of its support from farmers, the majority of Thailand's 64 million population, who remember the deposed prime minister's efforts to boost the rural economy during his five-year rule.
The Democrat Party is popular among Bangkok's middle-class, who spearheaded anti-Thaksin protests that culminated in the coup, highlighting the divide over the self-made billionaire between urban dwellers and the rural masses.
Sunai Phasuk, a Thai consultant for Human Rights Watch, said the junta has done nothing over the past year to heal the social divide, and argued Sunday's election boiled down to whether voters still support the deposed leader.
"What has not changed since the coup is that we still have the division between those who support Thaksin and those who are against him," Sunai said.
"Sadly, the election is really about Thaksin. The popularity of PPP, which is the reincarnation of Thaksin's dissolved party, means that people still think Thaksin is the right choice for a leader," he said.
Analysts predict that neither party will win a clear majority of the 480 seats in parliament, forcing them to try to stitch together a coalition with a clutch of smaller parties.
During its 15 months in power, the military has tried to ensure its continued influence over government after the elections.
Sunday's polls take place following the approval, in an August referendum, of an army-backed constitution.
Critics warn the charter rolls back democratic reforms and will encourage weak coalition governments while returning real authority to the military, the bureaucracy and the royal palace.
All three institutions have played key roles in most of Thailand's turbulent political history, which has seen 24 prime ministers and 18 coups over the past 75 years.
The army-installed parliament also shoved through a bill late Thursday that allows a military body, with cabinet approval, to suspend basic rights and override normal government procedures anywhere in the country at any time.
"With the passage of the security bill, the military is behind a new government to exert political power," Ukrist said.
"The military will continue to influence politics. They are not going away."
The generals who toppled Thaksin's twice-elected government in September 2006 say Sunday's polls will restore democracy in Thailand, where about 45.7 million people are eligible to vote.
But observers question how free and fair the elections can be as more than one-third of the country, including Thaksin's strongholds in rural northeastern provinces, is still under martial law.
"This is not a normal election. It is being held under pressure from the military," said Ukrist Pathmanand, professor of political science at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
"There have been no real policy discussions in this election. The only issue here is whether you love Thaksin or hate Thaksin," he said.
Despite living in London in self-imposed exile since the coup, Thaksin, 58, remains the dominant figure in Thai politics.
His political allies in the People Power Party (PPP) said at their final rally in Bangkok late Friday that Thaksin would return to Thailand for the first time on February 14, after a new government is formed.
"Thaksin said if he came back before the government is formed, he would be accused of trying to make more trouble," PPP's deputy leader Chalerm Yoobamrung told the cheering crowd.
On Saturday, the leader of the PPP's main rival Democrat Party, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said Thaksin should return to Thailand earlier.
"If I become prime minister, I will make contact with him. Thaksin should return before February 14," he told reporters in Bangkok.
Election activities subsided Saturday as the campaign officially closes at 6:00 pm (1100 GMT), while the Election Commission said it expected to release unofficial poll results by midnight Sunday.
The PPP has successfully rallied the remnants of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, which was disbanded by the military, and quickly moved to the top of opinion polls going into Sunday's election.
The party draws most of its support from farmers, the majority of Thailand's 64 million population, who remember the deposed prime minister's efforts to boost the rural economy during his five-year rule.
The Democrat Party is popular among Bangkok's middle-class, who spearheaded anti-Thaksin protests that culminated in the coup, highlighting the divide over the self-made billionaire between urban dwellers and the rural masses.
Sunai Phasuk, a Thai consultant for Human Rights Watch, said the junta has done nothing over the past year to heal the social divide, and argued Sunday's election boiled down to whether voters still support the deposed leader.
"What has not changed since the coup is that we still have the division between those who support Thaksin and those who are against him," Sunai said.
"Sadly, the election is really about Thaksin. The popularity of PPP, which is the reincarnation of Thaksin's dissolved party, means that people still think Thaksin is the right choice for a leader," he said.
Analysts predict that neither party will win a clear majority of the 480 seats in parliament, forcing them to try to stitch together a coalition with a clutch of smaller parties.
During its 15 months in power, the military has tried to ensure its continued influence over government after the elections.
Sunday's polls take place following the approval, in an August referendum, of an army-backed constitution.
Critics warn the charter rolls back democratic reforms and will encourage weak coalition governments while returning real authority to the military, the bureaucracy and the royal palace.
All three institutions have played key roles in most of Thailand's turbulent political history, which has seen 24 prime ministers and 18 coups over the past 75 years.
The army-installed parliament also shoved through a bill late Thursday that allows a military body, with cabinet approval, to suspend basic rights and override normal government procedures anywhere in the country at any time.
"With the passage of the security bill, the military is behind a new government to exert political power," Ukrist said.
"The military will continue to influence politics. They are not going away."
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