Puea Pandin struggle against PPP

General News : Monday December 10, 2007

RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Puea Pandin struggle against PPP

WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM

Khon Kaen _ The Puea Pandin party faces a daunting task in Khon Kaen in trying to attract voters still loyal to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who backs the People Power party (PPP), a political analyst said. Somphant Techa-atik, a Khon Kaen University lecturer who monitors elections in the northeastern province, said voters there would go with the PPP because it supported the populist policies of the former prime minister.

''Most northeastern voters care about immediate benefits, rather than the long-term ones,'' he said.

Khon Kaen has four constituencies with 11 seats in total. The province is the home of Puea Pandin leader Suvit Khunkitti. Mr Suvit claimed the party, which is banking on a call for national reconciliation, will take most of the seats and beat its PPP rival.

''The party's popularity is on the rise because we showed voters that problems in the country will never end if they vote for any party which clearly shows its stance for or against Thaksin,'' he said.

Mr Suvit is confident of winning all seats except in constituency 2, where the party will face competition from Premsak Piayura of the Chart Thai party.

He shrugged off competition from the Democrat party because of its unpopularity in the northeastern region.

The Democrats have made it clear they will not join hands with the PPP after the election. The PPP, meanwhile, is banking on Mr Thaksin's past success when he led the Thai Rak Thai party. The PPP has been trying to lure voters with the message that voting for the PPP will allow the return of Mr Thaksin, who was ousted by the armed forces in a military coup in September last year.

Mr Suvit, who was once with Thai Rak Thai before defecting to set up his own party, said the strength of Puea Pandin was its vow to end political divisions in the country.

But Mr Somphant argued against Puea Pandin's position, saying the party was losing the confidence of voters because of its unclear position on which alliance it will go with after the polls.

Its lack of a clear position would deter city people from voting for the party, the humanities and social sciences lecturer added.

By : Bangkok Post