No sign of end of Thai political crisis

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s party won a majority in snap elections, early results indicated today, although voters in Bangkok and southern Thailand cast a strong protest vote likely to inflame the country’s political crisis.

An opposition boycott of the poll left Thaksin’s ruling party uncontested in 278 of 400 constituencies for the lower house of Parliament, leaving little doubt from the start that the embattled prime minister would be returned to office.

But the outcome was expected to leave Thailand’s fragile democracy in political limbo, with both sides taking heart from the results.

Thaksin appeared unlikely to clinch the decisive mandate he needs to end the country’s worst political crisis in over a decade, and party officials admitted they were surprised by the protest vote.

“I think we are a little bit disappointed about the Bangkok vote, but we can understand that and we probably have to take it into consideration for our next step,” said Suranand Vejjajiva, a Cabinet member and executive committee member of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party.

Thaksin, nonetheless, said he remained confident of re-election. He has promised to step down if his party received less than a majority of votes cast.

“I am confident that the ’No Vote’ ballots will not be more than 50 per cent,” he said. “Let the final results come out first, then I will tell you what we are going to do next.”

Thaksin said he would address the nation on television tonight.

Leaders from the opposition, which boycotted the election, urged supporters to tick the box on ballots signifying a “No Vote,” or an abstention.

Abstentions outnumbered votes for Thai Rak Thai in most areas of the capital, where the movement to oust Thaksin is strongest, according to partial results issued late yesterday by the Election Commission.