The voters have chosen PPP

DATELINE BANGKOK

The voters have chosen PPP

Thai Post Editorial _ Despite certain flaws in our democratic system, we must accept the outcome of any election freely participated in by the public. Since it gained the most seats in the Dec 23 general election, the People Power party (PPP) has the first priority to form a coalition government that will be led by its leader Samak Sundaravej.

This is in keeping with a tradition first established by former Democrat party leader Chuan Leekpai and followed since by successive election winners.

Mr Samak has said right from the beginning that he is a nominee of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and that the PPP is a reincarnation of the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party which was dissolved by the Constitutional Tribunal last May 30.

Without strong support from rural people in the North and Northeast who are still loyal to Mr Thaksin, the PPP would not have won the election.

These rural voters want Mr Thaksin to return to Thailand and revitalise the economy which has gone nowhere under the interim Surayud government. They still remember the good times under five years of the TRT-led administration.

On the other hand, the Democrat party is supported by the middle classes in Bangkok and eastern provinces as well as southern voters who do not trust Mr Thaksin. They fear that Mr Thaksin's return to power will create further divisions in society.

However, we must respect the voice of the majority who voted for the PPP. If we let emotions guide our judgement, there will be no peace and reconciliation in our country.