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Battle to form Thailand's next government heats up
By AMBIKA AHUJA,Associated Press Writer AP - 2 hours 34 minutes ago
BANGKOK, Thailand - Two coffins and an unexploded grenade were found outside the home of a politician who switched allegiances in the battle to form Thailand's next government, as rival political groups on Tuesday stepped up their campaign to woo supporters.
The opposition Democrat Party continued to insist that it had found enough support in Parliament to name its leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, as the country's fifth prime minister in a little over two years.
Next week's expected vote comes after a court banned the elected ruling party last week. The verdict followed months of turmoil, including last month's weeklong takeover of the capital's two airports by demonstrators who oppose deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's influence in Thai politics.
The Democrats face off against the Phuea Thai Party _ the third reincarnation of Thaksin's original party. After Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 military coup and his party banned, his supporters formed the People's Power Party, which won elections last December to restore democracy.
However, the Constitutional Court last week ruled that the People's Power Party committed fraud in the election, and it forced its leader, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, out of office.
There is still much time before the vote for loyalties to shift among the country's notoriously fickle politicians, who are usually enticed with offers of cash and Cabinet positions.
But other forms of pressure are also being brought to bear.
An unexploded M-26 grenade was found about 50 yards (meters) from the house of Boonjong Wongtrairat, a lawmaker from the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima who switched his support from Phuea Thai to the Democrats.
"There were also two coffins found outside the house and a note that he has no political ideology," said police Lt. Col. Panpichit Sihupond. Boonjong was not at home at the time.
Thaksin supporters also held rowdy but small and nonviolent demonstrations outside of the homes of the other defecting politicians in Khon Kaen province, also in the northeast.
While several of the ruling party's lawmakers were banned from politics, most others retained their seats in Parliament and migrated immediately to the new Phuea Thai Party, set up in anticipation of the court's action, so they could try to form a new government.
However, members of four groupings who had supported Somchai's government held a news conference Tuesday to reiterate their switch to the Democrats.
Sanan Kajornprasart, acting deputy prime minister and a spokesman for the defectors, pledged support for Abhisit and said the Democrats' coalition commands the loyalty of at least 240 lawmakers.
Supporters of the Phuea Thai have said the army pressured lawmakers to switch sides.
The Democrats earlier claimed they had the support of 260 lawmakers _ 166 of its own members and the rest defectors _ which would give them a majority in the 480-seat House of Representatives.
The maneuvering comes after the People's Alliance for Democracy protest group last week abandoned its occupation of Bangkok's airports _ which stranded upward of 300,000 travelers _ after Prime Minister Somchai lost his job.
The army had conspicuously failed to crack down on the protesters, who also occupied the prime minister's office for three months in their campaign to topple the government.
The Democrats have voiced support for the protesters' goals, but distanced themselves from the sometimes-violent street demonstrations and illegal occupation of the airports.
Thaksin is widely seen as continuing to play a major behind-the-scenes role in the country's politics. He lives in exile, having fled Thailand ahead of a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law that saw him sentenced to two years imprisonment.
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