Thai polls dent PM's likely win
2006-04-03 08:08
Bangkok - Early results from Sunday's
snap poll in Thailand showed a strong protest vote that could
keep Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from claiming the mandate
he sought and lead to a constitutional crisis.
Refusing to recognise the election as legitimate, the
opposition boycotted the polls, which Thaksin called three years
early to counter weeks of street protests.
The result is that nearly 70% of the 399 seats at
stake were uncontested and many will be left empty, according to
election rules - preventing a new government being formed.
Thaksin's opponents urged voters to tick the "no vote" box
on their ballots, a strategy that seemed to work in Bangkok
where "no votes" were in a clear majority, Thai media said.
Thaksin won 32 of 37 Bangkok constituencies in polls last year.
But Thaksin's main support is in the countryside and early
returns showed him getting solid support there - enough to hand
him another big majority if and when parliament convenes.
Thai media said turnout was about 70% of the 45
million electorate, compared with 73% in February 2005.
Final official results were expected late on Monday.
Constitutional paralysis
Thaksin called the election to prove he had majority support
against what he called "mobs" accusing him of corruption,
cronyism and abuse of power. He said he would step down if his
Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party got less than 50%
of the vote, which looked unlikely.
But the opposition boycott is likely to plunge the country
into a constitutional mess because it will result in empty seats
in the 500-seat parliament.
Even in an uncontested constituency, a sole candidate must
win 20% of the eligible vote to claim the seat - and
that appeared highly unlikely in dozens of constituencies. All
seats must be filled for a new government to be formed.
In the largely Muslim far south, where telecoms billionaire
Thaksin is deeply unpopular, many unopposed TRT hopefuls were
likely to fall short of the 20% threshold.
For the moment, Thaksin remains caretaker prime minister
with a caretaker cabinet.
"The poll will produce a protracted deadlock for months,"
political scientist Somjai Phagaphasvivat told Reuters. "The
final outcome is far from certain."
After a non-campaign with no competition and no suspense,
Thaksin's party was still expected to get a majority of votes.
Rural Thais - 70% of the 63 million population - turned
out in force to vote for a prime minister who has given them
cheap healthcare and credit during his five years in office.
The crisis is taking its toll on the economy, paralysing
business decision-making and sapping the stock market, Southeast
Asia's second-worst performer after Malaysia this year.