PM promises his govt won't be overjoyed by poll win

 The by-election results have strengthened the coalition government, increasing the number of MPs in its camp. The coalition government now has 45 MPs more than the Opposition, increasing its stability.

"The government will not be intoxicated with power by the election results and there is no need to reshuffle the Cabinet," Abhisit said.

Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said there would not be a Cabinet reshuffle in the next three to six months.

He dismissed speculation by Sanan Kachornprasart, a leader of Chart Thai Pattana Party, about an imminent Cabinet reshuffle as just a personal opinion.

Suthep said the Democrat Party gave the coalition parties the chance to run the same ministries as when they were with the People Power Party on the grounds that they would not have to waste time learning about other ministries.

"We did not think about how many MPs were under their control," he said.

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa, Chart Thai Pattana's leader-in-waiting, said there was no need to reshuffle the Cabinet though his party had more MPs after the by-elections. "We [the government coalition] have already talked about this issue while forming the government," he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition Pheu Thai Party yesterday blamed a lack of preparedness for its by-election losses in many constituencies.

Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth Wichaidit said that because it was a new political party, many of its would-be candidates had been party members for less than 90 days, the minimum period required by the electoral law.

The party won five House seats out of the 19 it contested in the Sunday's by-elections.

Pongthep Thepkanchana, personal spokesman for ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, also blamed the party's lack of preparedness for falling short of its by-election target. He denied that it was because there was a lack of assistance from Thaksin.

Jatuporn Phromphan, a Pheu Thai MP, blamed the party's election loss on alleged "use of money" and bureaucratic help for candidates from the coalition parties.

He said if Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was really confident about the Democrat Party's increased popularity, he should dissolve the House and call a snap election to prove about it.

Pheu Thai's Ayutthaya MP Wittaya Buranasiri, an opposition chief whip, said the party's key members had agreed to form a war room to scrutinise each ministry's work.

Proportionate MP Chalerm Yoobamrung would orchestrate the party's work in the Parliament, he said.

He was speaking after a meeting with the party's key members, adding the party's meeting today would not consider changing the party leader. Yongyuth would continue to be the leader.

Chalerm said he had declined to be the party and opposition leader as it was too soon for him as a new member of the party.