Two wins help Wadah faction regain some confidence

ELECTION 2007

Two wins help Wadah faction regain some confidence

WASSANA NANUAM

Pattani _ The Wadah faction's confidence has been somewhat restored, despite winning only two of the 12 constituency seats in the three southern border provinces. Running under the People Power party (PPP) banner, its candidates Najmuddin Uma and Sukano Matha won in Narathiwat's constituency 2 and Yala's constituency 1, respectively. Mr Sukano is a younger brother of Wadah leader Wan Muhamad Nor Matha.

Leading Wadah member Areepen Uttarasin, a party-list candidate, won in zone 8 which covers the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

Still, several core members of the faction failed. They include former senator and MP Den Tohmeena, Muk Sulaiman and JehIsma-ae Jehmong.

The Democrat party which won almost all constituency seats in the far South in the Feb 6, 2005, election, lost some of its seats. The Democrats won five seats in the area. Three of the remaining seats went to Puea Pandin candidates, one in Narathiwat and two in Pattani, and another two went to the Chart Thai party in Pattani.

In 2005 the Democrats took 11 of the 12 seats, obliterating the Wadah faction, which ran under the Thai Rak Thai party. The 12th went to Chart Thai.

Mr Areepen said the faction's comeback, winning two constituency seats, proved it was still popular.

He admitted Wadah had a tough job ahead if it was to rebuild its popularity.

''In the previous election, the Democrats gained 11 seats because southerners wanted to teach Mr Thaksin that his southern solutions were wrong.

''Now local people know that southern problems cannot be solved and violence will happen anyway,'' said Mr Areepen.

Mr Najmuddin said the locals realised that Wadah had not masterminded the robbery of military weapons in Narathiwat on Jan 4, 2004, which marked the start of renewed separatist insurgency.

Puea Pandin's win was due to the popularity of deputy leader Waemahadee Waedao, who contested constituency 1 in Narathiwat. Dr Waemahadee said people voted for him and his party because of interest in its policies for solving southern problems and his devotion to door-knocking campaigns.