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Published on December 3, 2007

In spite of limited funds, experience and exposure, small parties fighting the election are leaving nothing to chance as they seek to grab voters looking for an alternative, or those fed up with the old guard and money politics.

Smaller parties banded together after the Election Commission bowed to pressure from the broadcast media for a review of regulations and allowed radio and television to use their own judgement in allocating campaign airtime.

The parties complained the commission broke the law by amending Articles 53, 59 and 60 of its act. The amendments remove as an offence the failure of broadcasters to allow equal time for all parties. But, with time running short before election day, the complaint may not be considered in time.

Damrong Thai Party leader Chitipat Sakuldeecherdchoo has not given up hope. He said smaller political parties had threatened to seek a court ruling nullifying the election if the commission refuses to review the amendments. They cause campaign unfairness, he said.

Started by farmers, his party is determined to tackle their plight. He was confident the party had a good chance of winning five constituencies and two party-list seats.

Labour Party leader Techin Tabplee believed some provisions of the new election law were a hindrance to small parties. "The party-list law is a big obstacle. People in one region cannot vote for parties they like in another region,'' he said.

Besides, the commission has given no clear guidelines about campaign activities. For instance, it earlier said parties could not use vehicles to campaign from. It bowed to pressure to overturn that, he said.

Smaller parties did not rent vehicles because of the original law. When it was changed, they had no money left. They cannot compete with the wages big parties are paying drivers.

Techin claimed his party was the first with a welfare-state policy, introduced back in 1996. Thai Rak Thai attacked that policy, saying the country stood to lose huge sums of money. But it later stole the idea and called it "populism", Techin claimed.

The party said "unfavourable election laws and circumstances" would prevent it from winning many seats. But it hopes to build its name among voters.

"When large parties are elected to run the country, they will certainly amend election laws that will ensure a fair election system,'' he said.

Budsarakham    Sinlapalavan

The Nation