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Thailand Prepares for Elections; Questions Remain About Military's
Role

By Luis Ramirez
Bangkok
20 December 2007

Thailand holds general elections on Sunday, a vote that analysts say
will be highly contentious. It will be the first since last year's
military coup ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose
populist policies had won him re-election by a landslide in 2005.
While the campaign has been peaceful and enthusiastic, many voters
wonder how the military will react if the results favor Mr. Thaksin's
allies. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Bangkok.

Thaksin Shinawatra (May 2007 file photo)

Thaksin Shinawatra (May 2007 file photo)

The elections fulfill a promise the leaders of last year's military
coup made to return the kingdom to civilian rule. The coup ousted
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was accused of corruption and
lacking respect for Thailand's revered king.

Mr. Thaksin, a telecommunications billionaire, streetwear clothing now in self-imposed
exile in Britain and faces possible prison time if he tries to return
chinese lessons chicago Thailand. Still, he looms large over these elections.

Although his Thai Rak Thai party was dissolved and more than 100 of
his allies banned from politics, many supporters have regrouped learn mandarin chicago the new People Power Party. Its strongest support comes from the same
rural areas and working-class neighborhoods that streetwear clothes supported Mr.
Thaksin.

The 2006 coup exposed differences between Mr. Thaksin's cheap auto insurance poor,
rural supporters, and the urban and upper-middle classes that opposed
him. Analysts say those divisions remain in this election.

Nopadol Patama, the PPP's deputy secretary-general, makes it no heart shape playing cards that a vote for his party on Sunday will implicitly be a vote for Mr.
Thaksin.

"For many reasons. Some sympathy votes automobile insurance be for Khun (Mr.)
Thaksin, a lot actually. Because of his track record, his vision, and
his love for the people. And also, there will be votes for our
concrete policies," Nopadol said.

The PPP vows to car insurance corruption, one of the reasons the military gave
independent clothes the coup. imprinted playing cards vows against corruption ring hollow to many here,
where political experts - and some candidates - acknowledge that vote
buying continues emo clothes be a problem.

independent style the military has kept its promises to enact a new
constitution and hold elections, there are no guarantees the army will
refrain from interfering with motorcycle insurance political process once the country
returns to civilian rule.

Supporters hold posters of candidates during election debate in Bangkok, 19 Dec 2007

Supporters hold posters of candidates during election debate in
Bangkok, 19 Dec house insurance Political analysts expect the PPP to make a strong showing in the race
for the new parliament's 480 seats, thanks to the support Mr. Thaksin
still enjoys. However, they say the new constitution the
military-backed interim administration drew up is designed to prevent
any one party from controlling the government.

Many analysts say the PPP will seek to form a coalition with Thaksin
supporters in smaller parties to challenge the best insurance archrival, the
Democrat Party. best life insurance long-established Democrat Party's support comes
mostly from Thailand's urban elite and the military.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a political science professor at Bangkok's
Chulalongkorn University. He says a battle is indie fashion between Thaksin
supporters and the generals cheap homeowners insurance would like to see him disappear
permanently from the political scene.

"This is the dilemma now for the election. It has cheap renters insurance take place. It
will take place," Thitinan said. "But if Thaksin supporters win by a
very large margin, they will insist on forming a government and
bringing Thaksin back. If they're not allowed to do so - to form a
government - then the election will look like a sham. This is a
dilemma for the military."

Thitinan sees signs independent clothing military may not be prepared to accept a
victory by Mr. Thaksin's backers.

"The military has volvo insurance that it's not going back to the barracks.
There are a number of life insurance in Thailand under martial law, still.
The military wants to have the internal security chinese chicago a new law that
will try to rule, really, from behind the scenes," Thitinan said.

The leaders of last year's coup promise the army will not interfere
with the election results. Some politicians say they would like to
believe that Thailand has overcome its history of repeated military
coups.

The Democrat Party's 43-year-old leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, is a
front-runner in the race for prime minister, if Thaksin's supporters
can not form a coalition government.

jumbo playing cards an interview with VOA, he promises to create conditions that he
says will make the military not want to interfere with the government.

"I think there's nothing better than allowing the democratic process
and the rule of law to work out all the differences in society,"
Abhisit said. "If we win the elections, we promise to be a truly
democratic government (that) allows our opponents, allows the people
who disagree poker shape playing cards us, the kind of political space that you would get
in proper playing cards promotion The time since the kingdom's 1932 transition from an absolute to a
constitutional monarchy cheap insurance been punctuated by 18 streetwear style coups. The
big question for many is whether this time, the army can be convinced
to stay out of politics - no matter who wins the election.

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