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| Thaksin party 'can form alliance' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The party which won most seats in Thailand's election has claimed it has the backing of enough smaller parties to form a ruling coalition. | The party which won most seats in Thailand's election has claimed it has the backing of enough smaller parties to form a ruling coalition. |
| But a People Power Party (PPP) spokesman declined to say which parties had agreed to join it. | But a People Power Party (PPP) spokesman declined to say which parties had agreed to join it. |
| The PPP, allied to ousted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, won a comfortable victory in Sunday's poll but did not gain enough seats to rule outright. | |
| It has pledged to bring Mr Thaksin back to Thailand if it takes power. | It has pledged to bring Mr Thaksin back to Thailand if it takes power. |
| Surapong Suebwonglee, secretary general of the PPP, told a press conference in Bangkok: "Other parties have agreed to join a coalition, which would give us more than half of the seats in parliament." | Surapong Suebwonglee, secretary general of the PPP, told a press conference in Bangkok: "Other parties have agreed to join a coalition, which would give us more than half of the seats in parliament." |
| "Now we will wait for the Election Commission to ratify the result. When it is ratified, we will move forward with forming the government." | "Now we will wait for the Election Commission to ratify the result. When it is ratified, we will move forward with forming the government." |
| The smaller parties may, however, come under pressure from the military not to form a coalition with PPP. | |
| Vote investigation | |
| Mr Abhisit said he is prepared to form a coalition if the PPP cannot | |
| According to unofficial election results, the PPP won 232 seats in Sunday's poll, while its main rival, the Democrat Party, won 165. | According to unofficial election results, the PPP won 232 seats in Sunday's poll, while its main rival, the Democrat Party, won 165. |
| However, the Electoral Commission has launched an investigation into allegations of vote-buying, which could lead to some seats being re-contested. | |
| Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejajjiva has said that if the PPP cannot form a coalition then his party will. | |
| The two other major parties, Chart Thai and Puea Pandin, have said they will act together in forming alliances with other parties. | The two other major parties, Chart Thai and Puea Pandin, have said they will act together in forming alliances with other parties. |
| Their decision of who to allign with could prove crucial. | |
| Theoretically, if all the smaller parties form a coalition with the Democrats, they could prevent the PPP from taking office. | |
| Coup rejected | |
| The election was the first since the 2006 bloodless coup which removed Mr Thaksin from power. | The election was the first since the 2006 bloodless coup which removed Mr Thaksin from power. |
| Since the coup, the country has been ruled by a military-appointed interim administration. | Since the coup, the country has been ruled by a military-appointed interim administration. |
| Analysts say the success of the PPP shows that the public have rejected the coup and continue to support Mr Thaksin, particularly in rural areas. | |
| Questions remain over how the military will respond if the PPP take office and if Mr Thaksin returns from self-imposed exile in the UK. |