Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
Thai parties seek support as nation awaits new PM
AFP - Tuesday, December 9
BANGKOK (AFP) - - Thailand's two main political parties on Tuesday lobbied for support ahead of a crucial vote for a new prime minister which both the toppled ruling party and the opposition claim they can win.
The Democrat Party, the second largest in parliament, says it has wooed enough smaller parties and defectors from the former ruling People Power Party (PPP) to form a government with leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as premier.
It is vying to fill the vacuum created when a court last week dissolved the PPP over vote fraud charges, although the PPP's MPs have simply moved into a party known as Puea Thai (For Thais) and insist they can cling on to power.
The Democrats have called for an emergency session of parliament to prove their parliamentary majority and nominate the 44-year-old, Oxford-educated Abhisit.
The request is awaiting royal approval, which could take days.
The fierce power struggle comes after the November 25 to December 3 blockade of Bangkok's main airport by a royalist anti-government protest group, which brought Thailand to a standstill and badly dented the nation's image abroad.
"I am still confident that we are ready to find a solution for the country," Abhisit told reporters.
"Currently there are many types of pressure and lobbying, but I am still convinced that all parties and groups will give the Democrat Party a chance to lead the country out of this crisis," he added.
Democrat Party leaders claim to have won over about two-thirds of the 447 lawmakers currently sitting in parliament.
But Puea Thai -- which is made up of allies of ousted and exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- continues to insist it has the support of at least 220 MPs in the House of Representatives.
Spokesman Pormpong Nopparit said the party may nominate a prime ministerial candidate from one of the five smaller parties to calm heated political tensions in the kingdom.
"Our principle is if Abhisit becomes prime minister or a Puea Thai member becomes prime minister there will be opposition from both groups of supporters," Pormpong told AFP.
"We are still discussing who should be nominated -- there are many people who qualify."
Thais are hoping for a political solution to more than six months of protests by the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which wanted to bring down the PPP-led government elected in December 2007.
Their campaign reached its peak in late November when PAD supporters marched on Bangkok's two main airports and forced their closure, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers.
PAD leaders -- whose supporters include elements in the military, palace and middle and upper classes -- accused the PPP of being a puppet of Thaksin, who was toppled in a 2006 coup and lives abroad to avoid corruption charges.
The sieges of Suvarnabhumi international airport and the smaller Don Mueang hub ended last Wednesday after a court disbanded the PPP, but activists have vowed to return to the streets if they do not approve of the new premier.
The most likely candidate at the moment is Abhisit, who failed to win over Thaksin's rural supporters in the general elections a year ago but is believed to have the backing of the kingdom's old elite.
Thaksin was despised by elements in the palace, military and bureaucracy, who felt their power was undermined by his support in the populous countryside.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Magnitude 7 quake rocks South Pacific islandsAP - 34 minutes ago
India poll results lift ruling Congress: analystsAFP - 45 minutes ago
Pakistan won't hand suspects to IndiaAFP - 1 hour 1 minute ago
Mumbai neighbourhood uneasy over return of Jewish centreAFP - 1 hour 10 minutes ago
Shah Rukh Khan says new film is about hopeAP - 1 hour 17 minutes ago
Enlarge Photo
Thai parties seek support as nation awaits new PM
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
Financial crisis tipped to cut cost of air travel
Muslim pilgrims stone Satan at the hajj
Stocks take flight on prospects for anti-recession moves
Oil price falls below $40
Climate change: Sci-fi solutions no longer in the margins
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular