Thai King Makers are Political outfits
Thai King Makers are Political outfits
Last year's coup which ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra some 45 million Thais are eligible to cast their ballots as polls opened at 8 a.m. (0100 GMT), today on Sunday, 23 December 2007, with unofficial results expected by midnight,few expect the country's third election in two years will solve the country's problems.
People Power Party (PPP), a political outfit for supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra,was ousted in a bloodless fifteen months ago. Thaksin would return from self-exile in London said on Friday he could be back in February if voters handed the party a majority in the 480-seat parliament.
Political Analysts say the army and the royalist establishment, which Thaksin supporters blame for the coup, will try to stymie a PPP-led government by seeking to disqualify its candidates or tie up the party in legal challenges.The army and its proxies are expected to push for a coalition led by the Democrats, the main opposition during Thaksin's five years in power.
Coup maker General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, now deputy prime minister in the interim government he appointed after the September 2006 coup, urged Thais to vote for "good people and those who are loyal" to the monarchy.
Rival groups, the pro and anti-Thaksin camps have said they will take to the streets if they observe the other side has unfairly gained an upper hand in Sunday's polls.
Corruptible practice in Vote buying is rampant in Thai elections. Nation newspaper reported on Sunday authorities were investigating nearly 160 cases of alleged vote fraud.Major street protests may surge another military coup as intellectual propound.
Political instability and uncertainty has worried the country's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who inspired the soldiers,police to use their spiritual "strength" to pull the nation out of its political mess.
Last year's coup is the eighteenth in seventy five years of on-off democracy failed to dilute powers of Thaksin, an ethnic Chinese telecoms billionaire who won landslides in 2001 and 2005 on the back of cheap healthcare and handouts to farmers.
An election Thaksin called in 2006 to rout street protests against him was later annulled.Despite his lengthy exile, the banning of his party Thai Rak Thai and inconclusive attempts to prosecute him for corruption, Thaksin remains the central figure in the political arena.
The pro-Thaksin People's Power Party has emerged as winner in Thailand's general elections on Sunday, though it failed to get an absolute majority in the 480 seat lower house of parliament.
With 80 per cent of the vote counted, the People's Power Party won 230 seats. Rival Democrat Party won 161 seats.
PPP's head Samak Sundaravej said former deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was observing the polls from Hong Kong, had congratulated him after getting news of the party's showing at the polls.
The billionaire premier was ousted in a bloodless coup last year in September and he has been in England in self-imposed exile.
Thaksin owns the Manchester City football club.
He is still widely popular with the masses in Thailand.
PPP campaigned on a platform of bringing Thaksin back from exile in London and continuing his populist policies.
His Thai Rak Thai (Thais love Thai) party was outlawed after the September coup and Thaksin was himself debarred from holding office for five years, but the PPP formed by his loyalists.
There are 45 million eligible voters who had to choose from 5,000 candidates from 39 political parties.
Thais across the country went to vote at 8 am (0630 IST), with thousands of troops and policemen spread out, especially in southern Thailand where a Muslim insurgency has killed more than 2000 people.
Puea Pandin party leader Suvit Khunkitti is due to make a statement about his party’s political direction later this afternoon. Chart Thai party leader has refused to answer questions about which group he will side with, saying that there is no clarity on this issue at this point in time. Mr Banharn gave a press conference on Sunday night, expressing his readiness to work with Puea Pandin party leader Suvit Khunkitti.
1.The Palang Prachachon Party won 228 seats.
2.Democrats Party won 166 seats.
3.Chart Thai Party won 39 seats.
4.Puea Pandin Party won 26 seats.
5.RuamJai Thai Chart Pattana won 10 seats.
6.Matchimathipataya won 7 seats.
7.Pracharaj won 4 seats.
Election commission Seretary general Suthipol Thaweechaikaram said polling was 70% as 32 million voters casted their right of franchise.With Lamphun province in North Thailand with maximum voting of 88%. Nksagar
Last year's coup which ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra some 45 million Thais are eligible to cast their ballots as polls opened at 8 a.m. (0100 GMT), today on Sunday, 23 December 2007, with unofficial results expected by midnight,few expect the country's third election in two years will solve the country's problems.
People Power Party (PPP), a political outfit for supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra,was ousted in a bloodless fifteen months ago. Thaksin would return from self-exile in London said on Friday he could be back in February if voters handed the party a majority in the 480-seat parliament.
Political Analysts say the army and the royalist establishment, which Thaksin supporters blame for the coup, will try to stymie a PPP-led government by seeking to disqualify its candidates or tie up the party in legal challenges.The army and its proxies are expected to push for a coalition led by the Democrats, the main opposition during Thaksin's five years in power.
Coup maker General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, now deputy prime minister in the interim government he appointed after the September 2006 coup, urged Thais to vote for "good people and those who are loyal" to the monarchy.
Rival groups, the pro and anti-Thaksin camps have said they will take to the streets if they observe the other side has unfairly gained an upper hand in Sunday's polls.
Corruptible practice in Vote buying is rampant in Thai elections. Nation newspaper reported on Sunday authorities were investigating nearly 160 cases of alleged vote fraud.Major street protests may surge another military coup as intellectual propound.
Political instability and uncertainty has worried the country's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who inspired the soldiers,police to use their spiritual "strength" to pull the nation out of its political mess.
Last year's coup is the eighteenth in seventy five years of on-off democracy failed to dilute powers of Thaksin, an ethnic Chinese telecoms billionaire who won landslides in 2001 and 2005 on the back of cheap healthcare and handouts to farmers.
An election Thaksin called in 2006 to rout street protests against him was later annulled.Despite his lengthy exile, the banning of his party Thai Rak Thai and inconclusive attempts to prosecute him for corruption, Thaksin remains the central figure in the political arena.
The pro-Thaksin People's Power Party has emerged as winner in Thailand's general elections on Sunday, though it failed to get an absolute majority in the 480 seat lower house of parliament.
With 80 per cent of the vote counted, the People's Power Party won 230 seats. Rival Democrat Party won 161 seats.
PPP's head Samak Sundaravej said former deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was observing the polls from Hong Kong, had congratulated him after getting news of the party's showing at the polls.
The billionaire premier was ousted in a bloodless coup last year in September and he has been in England in self-imposed exile.
Thaksin owns the Manchester City football club.
He is still widely popular with the masses in Thailand.
PPP campaigned on a platform of bringing Thaksin back from exile in London and continuing his populist policies.
His Thai Rak Thai (Thais love Thai) party was outlawed after the September coup and Thaksin was himself debarred from holding office for five years, but the PPP formed by his loyalists.
There are 45 million eligible voters who had to choose from 5,000 candidates from 39 political parties.
Thais across the country went to vote at 8 am (0630 IST), with thousands of troops and policemen spread out, especially in southern Thailand where a Muslim insurgency has killed more than 2000 people.
Puea Pandin party leader Suvit Khunkitti is due to make a statement about his party’s political direction later this afternoon. Chart Thai party leader has refused to answer questions about which group he will side with, saying that there is no clarity on this issue at this point in time. Mr Banharn gave a press conference on Sunday night, expressing his readiness to work with Puea Pandin party leader Suvit Khunkitti.
1.The Palang Prachachon Party won 228 seats.
2.Democrats Party won 166 seats.
3.Chart Thai Party won 39 seats.
4.Puea Pandin Party won 26 seats.
5.RuamJai Thai Chart Pattana won 10 seats.
6.Matchimathipataya won 7 seats.
7.Pracharaj won 4 seats.
Election commission Seretary general Suthipol Thaweechaikaram said polling was 70% as 32 million voters casted their right of franchise.With Lamphun province in North Thailand with maximum voting of 88%. Nksagar
Comments