Out of 480-seats in the house, Mr. Samak’s Sundaravej’s People Power Party (PPP) has won 228 of those seats. They were 13 seats short of the 241 needed seats for an absolute majority. The result is deemed a major setback for Thailand’s military which has already attempted to curb the influence of Thaksin Shinawatra.
The Democratic Party is set to win 166 seats with Chart Thai winning the other 39 according to the Election Commission. The Democrat Party is the main rival to the PPP.
Mr. Samak claimed victory and said: “I will be the next prime minister for sure.” He adds: “I invite all the parties to join our government.”
Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of the Democrat Party said it was a close race.
“If the PPP succeeds in forming a coalition, the Democrat Party is ready to become the opposition. If the PPP fails, then the Democrat Party is ready to form its own coalition,” Abhisit Vejjajiva said.
Mr. Samak said: “This is a victory for all Thai people who unreasonably lost their freedom on 19 September.”
This is regards to the date in 2006 where Mr. Thaksin was overthrown and his Thai Rak Thai party was removed from power by the Thai military. Thaksin self-imposed exile and stayed mainly in Britain. His is banned from Thai politics.
His allies promised that his five-year political ban will be overturned.
On Sunday, Mr. Samak said: “Thaksin said he will come back after the government is formed.”
However, Thaksin has to answer to a number of corruption charges that the courts have leveled against him.
BBC says that it’s difficult to predict on how the military will react. Many of Thakin’s adversaries are in the business and bureaucratic elite. BBC also adds that if a coalition is formed, it will be weak and short-lived.
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