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Published on October 8, 2007

What's your view of politics today?

It's confusing. The situation has changed every day in the past month and by the hour in the past week.

For new political parties, it's difficult to follow the situation and cope with difficulties and changes. However, the election date has been set and we must go on.

You once said part of the problem is that constituencies haven't been designated?

That's part of it. I think that once you set the election date, the whole package of the election process should be complete. But the government announced the election date without a package of rules. Not knowing the constituencies, it's very difficult for candidates to visit their constituencies. They need to know exactly which area will be theirs so that they can visit their voters.

And the time is coming closer and closer. I will say it will be difficult to find a new face after the election.

Do you suggest the election be postponed?

I cannot say that. I don't have the authority. But people who set the rules should have known what they were doing. Once they set the election date, all the rules should have been completed. But at the moment, I think it's too late.

One year after the coup, do you believe there has been political reform?

At the moment, no. The people in power now are fighting. There are so many conflicts among many groups and that makes 'the old power' hope it can come back and regain power. I hope that will not happen but that's what's happening now.

Is that a worst-case scenario?

That would be bad. The people in power now should do something but in the past year they have done nothing or very little to clean things up and set new rules and regulations.

When will Ruam Jai Thai Chat Pattana elect a new leader?

I think by the middle of this month. There are processes to elect the party leader, secretary-general and a strategy committee.

Who are the leading candidates?

Many candidates. At the moment I cannot tell you. If I name examples, it wouldn't be exciting, so wait and see.

How many seats do you expect to win at the election?

We have no target at the moment. We just want to do our best and hope our candidates work hard in their constituencies and win the hearts of voters.

With which party will you align after the election?

We have not even thought about it. What we are thinking now is to go and do our best in the election. We want the country to be stable so that the economy can get back on track. We want to get out from the trap in which the country is at the moment.

What do you expect in the election?

Free, fair and clean to bring good to the country. I don't know if it can happen. I have a bad feeling at the moment but we're keeping our fingers crossed.