2 replies to this topic

[Sexpat]

"Yesterday's by-elections for a total of 29 new MPs tilted in favour of the Democrat-led coalition government, which won 19 more House seats while opposition Pheu Thai and Pracharaj parties got just 10.

According to unofficial poll results, the opposition parties retained seats only in the Northeast and Lampang while losing their previous three seats to the Democrat-led coalition parties. As a result, the government's majority was boosted to 255 from 236 compared to the opposition's 205 MPs, up from 195.

Widespread redshirted antigovernment protests ahead of the byelections in 22 provinces were partly blamed for the opposition parties' losses. Critics said the protesters' move could have backfired because some voters had become tired of endless protests and inappropriate tactics such as egg attacks."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/12...cs_30092986.php

[B.I.G.]

Actually, the biggest winner by party was the old Chart Thai Party, which was banned and re-named Chart Thai Pattana. Chart Thai Pattana basically re-took all the seats it held before the court threw out its MP's.

The results by party were:

Chart Thai Pattana - 10 seats
Democrats - 7 seats
Puea Thai - 5 seats
Pracharaj - 4 seats
Puea Pandin Thai - 3 seats

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...in-by-elections

[Hedda]

Actually, the biggest winner by party was the old Chart Thai Party, which was banned and re-named Chart Thai Pattana.

Not quite. Although it's true that Chart Thai Pattana won 10 seats, it actually lost 6 seats in the process, since the court had previously ousted 16 Chart Thai MP's from their seats in parliament. Winning back 10 seat was really a net loss of six MP's for the party, most of which ended up in the Democrats' increased column.

There's an interesting summary and analysis of who won and lost in these elections at the link below. What's clear is that Thaksin's continued popularity in the North and Issan is not strong enough to defeat members of the breakaway factions in their home base areas. That suggests that the Bangkok elite's manipulations have inflicted serious and perhaps fatal political damage on Thaksin by enticing Newin and Banharn to break from the coalition assembled by Thaksin in 2001.

It also suggests, however, that the Democrats have miles to go before they have any chance to start electing MP's in these rural areas of strong pro-Thaksin sentiments. That means the Democrats will have to depend on former Thaksin allies like Newin and Banharn to keep their coalition afloat. The prospect of having to keep the likes of Newin and Banharn happy is a scary thought, especially if the Thai economy continues to tank in the next six months.

If Newin and/or Banharn decide that they were better off with Thaksin's crowd, this coalition could sink like a stone in one big vote of no-confience. The big question then is whether the Democrats would go silently into opposition again or whether Junior would run to his sponsors to ask for soldiers in the streets, after PAD obliges with some gratuitous violence.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/13...cs_30093066.php