• 
• 

But one thing is sure. Without the big boss, the People Power Party will inevitably become disorganised and drift apart. Its members are still in shock. They do not know who will now take care of them. Who will they take orders from? Each faction in the party is desperately struggling to find its way.

When Thaksin fled, the expectation was that the country was going into election mode. Having looked at the readiness of political parties for the next election, who will be most prepared in terms of manpower and money?

The Friends of Newin (Chidchob) faction - with more than 100 MPs - is the most powerful faction in the party. This group has a long-term vision. It has reportedly accumulated money to prepare for an election. It has already allocated a 2009 budget for its political base.

While other factions were still stunned, the Newin group showed its power to other PPP factions.

A member of Newin's group revealed that Thaksin had directly contacted him and asked him to take care of the party after he fled. The group claimed Newin was Thaksin's most trusted man. Meanwhile, the Isaan Pattana faction claimed Thaksin trusted his brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat more than Newin.

Newin reportedly urged his old friend Suchat Tancharoen, leader of the Baan Rim Nam faction of the Puea Pandin Party, to join him in the next election.

Among other groups in the PPP, Thaksin's sister Yaowapa Wongsawat was busy gathering allies. Chalerm Yoobamrung was approaching PPP MPs who were former members of the New Aspiration Party,

Other banned Thai Rak Thai executive members like Somsak Thepsuthin from Matchima Thipataya, Pinij Jarusombat from Puea Pandin, and Suwat Liptapanlop from Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, have reportedly formed an alliance for the next election.

This group is not likely to merge their MPs and found a new party. Instead they will stay in different parties and then join forces after the election to gain more bargaining power in forming a coalition.

"We learnt our lesson when we merged with a big party like the now-defunct TRT [Thai Rak Thai]. We felt like we lived in another person's home, not ours. It was difficult for us to have any say. It will be more dignified if we are a small or medium-size party and form an alliance to join the coalition," said a faction leader, who asked not to be named.

Another source said there would not be one single party forming the government like the TRT, which won a landslide in 2005. Thai politics will return to the old days in which smaller parties form coalitions, he said.

Former PM General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was recently in the spotlight after he expressed the hope of becoming a candidate for the PM's post.

For the PPP's main rival, the Democrats, it appears to be the best chance for them to win the election with its rival party scattering.

Apart from Democrats' stronghold in the South, the party is likely to gain most votes in Bangkok and the Central and Eastern regions. However, the Democrats are facing an obstacle. The party is waiting for a ruling on an electoral fraud case by the Election Commission concerning its executive Witoon Nambutr.

If the EC issues a red card against Witoon, the Democrats could face dissolution.