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Published on November 13, 2007

The Democrat Party has vowed to form a coalition government even if it loses the December 23 election, drawing a stern response from the People Power Party.

PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said the Democrat Party should be ashamed of itself if it tries to form a coalition government despite losing the poll.

Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said political parties were divided into two camps: pro- and anti-Thaksin.

His anti-Thaksin camp, including the Democrats and Chart Thai, had never talked about a situation in which any of them would form a coalition government even if PPP won the most number of seats in the election.

However, he believed the alliance's members know they will follow this position.

Meanwhile, Samak responded to assumptions that Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva would challenge the PPP if the difference between the two parties was small despite PPP winning more seats.

Under that scenario, the Democrats would compete with the PPP for support of medium-sized parties, including Chart Thai, Matchima Thipataya, Puea Pandin and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana.

If those parties decided to join the Democrats, Abhisit would have the momentum to head the government.

Samak said the Democrat chief adviser [Chuan Leekpai] should not allow the party to violate the norm that the party with the most number of MPs be given the first option to form a coalition government.

In two previous polls, the Chuan-led Democrats had finished second behind Chart Thai and New Aspiration respectively. Although the difference was small, Chuan refused to form governments with the winning parties.

Meanwhile, Samak cried foul over confusion in candidacy-number distribution. He alleged that the drafters of the current Constitution had intended to undermine his party by making distribution of candidacy numbers too complicated.

Samak said the drafters feared that People Power would win the election so they designed confusing candidacy numbers.

"I dare to make my allegations here," Samak said. "For example, PPP party-list candidates will run under No 12. But its constituent candidates receive various numbers from 1 to 3, 4 to 6 or 7 to 9."

He asked the Election Commission to put names of parties next to the numbers, so voters would know which party a candidate belonged to. Moreover, it would prevent them from making ballots invalid, he added.

Samak appealed to voters to elect PPP candidates so that his party controlled more than half the House seats - more than 240 of 480 seats. The PPP would lead the House and amend the undemocratic charter and return the country to the right track, he said.

Later in the evening, more than 500 supporters joined the Democrat's first official campaign rally at Wongwienyai.

Key party leaders, including Abhisit and Jurin Laksanavisit addressed the crowd, attacking Samak and the PPP's policies.

Abhisit said during the evening rally at Wongwienyai that the Democrats would win more than 30 of Bangkok's 36 MP seats. If they failed, however, they would surely "return home with the policy platform of the People's Agenda aborted", a hint that his party would be the opposition under the circumstances.

Kesinee Jaikawang,

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation