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| Thaksin ally wins Thai election | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The party allied to Thailand's ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra has won the general election, initial results from the Election Commission show. | |
| Samak Sundaravej's People Power Party (PPP) won 228 seats in the 480-seat house, short of the 241 needed for an absolute majority. | |
| The election is the first since the 2006 coup that overthrew Mr Thaksin. | The election is the first since the 2006 coup that overthrew Mr Thaksin. |
| Correspondents say the PPP win is a big setback to the military, which has tried to counter Mr Thaksin's allies. | |
| Phone call | Phone call |
| The Election Commission said about 93% of votes had been counted and the situation would now not change greatly. | |
| The PPP's main rival, the Democrat Party, is set to win 166 seats and Chart Thai 39. | |
| POST-COUP TIMELINE September 2006: Coup overthrows Thaksin ShinawatraOctober 2006: Retired General Surayud Chulanont is appointed interim leaderMay 2007: Court bans Mr Thaksin from politics for five years, and dissolves his partyAugust 2007: Voters approve a new constitution 23 December 2007: Election held class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7151412.stm">Key election figures class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7154296.stm">Thailand's turbulent year class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1108114.stm">Profile: Thaksin Shinawatra class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7158204.stm">In pictures: Thailand votes Mr Samak, 72, claimed victory, saying: "I will be the next prime minister for sure." | |
| He added: "I invite all the parties to join our government." | |
| The leader of the PPP's main rival, the Democrats, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said the election had been a "close race". | The leader of the PPP's main rival, the Democrats, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said the election had been a "close race". |
| "If the PPP succeeds in forming a coalition, the Democrat Party is ready to become the opposition. If the PPP fails, then the Democrat Party is ready to form its own coalition," he said. | "If the PPP succeeds in forming a coalition, the Democrat Party is ready to become the opposition. If the PPP fails, then the Democrat Party is ready to form its own coalition," he said. |
| Mr Samak said he had spoken to Mr Thaksin, who is in Hong Kong, by telephone. | Mr Samak said he had spoken to Mr Thaksin, who is in Hong Kong, by telephone. |
| "Thaksin said 'congratulations'," Mr Samak said. | "Thaksin said 'congratulations'," Mr Samak said. |
| The PPP leader added: "This is a victory for all Thai people who unreasonably lost their freedom on September 19." | The PPP leader added: "This is a victory for all Thai people who unreasonably lost their freedom on September 19." |
| Thai voters give their views on who should run their countryIn pictures | Thai voters give their views on who should run their countryIn pictures |
| That was the date in 2006 when the military removed Mr Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai party from power. | That was the date in 2006 when the military removed Mr Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai party from power. |
| Mr Thaksin, who is now banned from Thai politics, has since lived in self-imposed exile abroad, mainly in Britain. | Mr Thaksin, who is now banned from Thai politics, has since lived in self-imposed exile abroad, mainly in Britain. |
| However, his allies have promised he would return and that the five-year political ban on him would be overturned. | However, his allies have promised he would return and that the five-year political ban on him would be overturned. |
| Mr Samak said on Sunday: "Thaksin said he will come back after the government is formed." | Mr Samak said on Sunday: "Thaksin said he will come back after the government is formed." |
| If he does return to Thailand, Mr Thaksin will have to answer a number of corruption charges levelled against him in the courts. | If he does return to Thailand, Mr Thaksin will have to answer a number of corruption charges levelled against him in the courts. |
| Military key | Military key |
| Election monitors said that voting had mostly proceeded smoothly and been well-organised, despite complaints of vote-buying and other irregularities. | Election monitors said that voting had mostly proceeded smoothly and been well-organised, despite complaints of vote-buying and other irregularities. |
| The PPP has concentrated mainly on the poor, rural vote that buoyed Mr Thaksin, while the Democrats have relied on the middle-class urban vote. | The PPP has concentrated mainly on the poor, rural vote that buoyed Mr Thaksin, while the Democrats have relied on the middle-class urban vote. |
| The BBC's Jonathan Head says that if the PPP has not won an outright majority, there will be considerable pressure on smaller parties to form a coalition with the Democrats. | The BBC's Jonathan Head says that if the PPP has not won an outright majority, there will be considerable pressure on smaller parties to form a coalition with the Democrats. |
| But he says this could lead to further instability as a multi-party government could well prove weak and short-lived. | But he says this could lead to further instability as a multi-party government could well prove weak and short-lived. |
| What stance the military takes will also be a key issue. | What stance the military takes will also be a key issue. |