Thai party 'can form coalition'

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The main opposition party in Thailand says it has enough support to form a government and end the political crisis that has gripped the country.

The Democrat Party claims it has the backing of more than half of the 400 lawmakers in the lower house.

It follows protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy, against rule by allies of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Blockades of Bangkok airports were ended on Wednesday after a court ruling that deposed the prime minister.

On Saturday Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary general of the Democrat Party, said it could form a coalition with the support of five small parties in the ruling coalition.

"Everyone here is fully convinced about the political situation of the country. Therefore we decide together to form a coalition government to solve the crisis of the country," he told a late night news conference.

The BBC's Jonathan Head, in Bangkok, says the Democrats must have persuaded some MPs to defect from the governing People Power Party (PPP), which was dissolved this week by a court over election fraud.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was also forced to step down.

Airports open

On Friday, Thaksin's ex-wife returned to Thailand for personal reasons.

A spokesman for Pojaman Shinawatra said she was visiting her ailing mother and her return to Thailand had nothing to do with politics.

qThe whole episode has damaged the economy and has affected Thais from making a living UK businessman in Bangkok <a class="" href="/1/hi/talking_point/7767976.stm">Thailand flight chaos: still stranded</a> Her arrival prompted speculation in the Thai media that her return was linked to attempts to form a new government.

It had come as a surprise as she was found guilty of tax evasion in July and left the country the next day after filing an appeal.

Pojaman, who was married to Thaksin for 32 years before divorcing in November, flew into Bangkok's international airport from the Chinese territory of Hong Kong.

The airport returned to full operation on Friday after anti-government protesters raised their week-long blockade of it and Bangkok's domestic airport.

However, an airport public relations official warned that it could be at least a month before traffic was back to normal.

The protesters, who regard the government as a proxy for Thaksin, withdrew after the PPP court ruling.

'No politics'

Pojaman's spokesman denied that she had arrived to influence the People Power Party's successor, the Puea Thai party, which is due to pick a leader on Sunday.

Pojaman and Thaksin are reported to have divorced in Hong Kong"[She] doesn't want to be involved in politics," the spokesman said.

"Puea Thai party has a process to choose its leader. Certainly, it has nothing to do with her."

Pojaman was found guilty last July of evading tax of 546m baht ($16.3m) in a 1997 shares transfer in the family telecoms business.

In October, Thaksin was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to two years in prison in his absence.

No reasons were given for the couple's separation and Thaksin's current whereabouts are unclear.