THAILAND: THOUSANDS TURN OUT TO POLITICAL RALLY SUPPORTING ELECTION FRONT-RUNNER THAKSIN SHINAVATRA

Record ID: 215530

  • Title: THAILAND: THOUSANDS TURN OUT TO POLITICAL RALLY SUPPORTING ELECTION FRONT-RUNNER THAKSIN SHINAVATRA
  • Date: 5th January 2001
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (JANUARY 4, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PAN FROM CROWD TO STAGE AT THAKSIN SHINAWATRA RALLY; SCU THAKSIN SUPPORTERS LOOK UP TO STAGE (2 SHOTS) 0.14 2. SCU THAKSIN ARIVING/TALKING TO PEOPLE/SUPPORTERS WAVING FLAGS (2 SHOTS) 0.25 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, LEADER OF THAI RAK THAI (THAIS LOVE THAIS) PARTY, SAYING
  • Embargoed: 20th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Reuters ID: LVABM2NBJLCO5NMJHUWOM08162Y
  • Story Text: Thousands of people turned out to a political rally
    in Bangkok on Thursday (January 4) to support election
    front-runner Thaksin Shinawatra. The gathering is one of
    several that have been staged across the country this week
    ahead of Saturday's general election.

    It was the last official political rally before the
    election and it turned out to be the biggest. Thousands of
    people came out to support telecom tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra,
    many rushing up to their leader to shower him with flowers
    and praise.

    A confident Thaksin addressed the crowd on Thursday
    (January 4), making it clear he intends to be the next Prime
    Minister and telling reporters that he will stay in office for
    the full four year term, despite the controversy that
    surrounds him.

    The Thai Rak Thai (Thais love Thais) party-leader's fate
    awaits a Constitutional Court ruling after the NCCC (National
    Counter Corruption Commission) found he submitted false asset
    declarations in the 1990s. If found guilty by the court he
    could be kicked out of power and banned from Thai politics.

    But he says nothing will stop him from becoming the next Prime
    Minister.

    "I'm confident since I'm innocent. I can prove I'm
    innocent. This is not a corruption case. Since this is not a
    corruption case it's easy to overturn," Thaksin said."
    On the other side of Bangkok, on Wednesday night (January
    3) a less confident candidate held a rally of his own. Chuan
    Leekpai is Thailand's current Prime Minister. Dubbed "Mr Nice
    Guy", Chuan is lagging behind in the polls. Analysts say it's
    because he's too rigid and failed to move fast enough in
    tackling the Thai economic crisis that started in mid-1997.

    Helping Chuan's campaign are the allegations of fraud
    against his main rival -- Thaksin. But surprisingly, he is
    playing down the turmoil.

    "I will come into power not because there's a problem with
    Thaksin. I will come into power because I have the support of
    most of the people," said Chuan.

    Political analyst Sompop Manarungsan from Chulalongkorn
    University does not like Chuan's chances. He believes Thaksin
    will win the election and says other parties and candidates do
    not stand a chance.

    "I don't think that the minor parties have a good
    opportunity to form and run the leading coalition party
    themselves, that is difficult for them because they are very
    fragmented and especially they don't have very prominent
    figures to become the prime minister."
    Thai Deputy Prime Minister Korn Dabbaransi is the leader
    of one of these lesser-known parties. He heads the Chart
    Pattana party. At the last Thai general election in November
    1996, his party won 53 seats and allied itself with the
    Democrat Party of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and he believes
    he will improve on his 1996 showing at the polls.

    "Any party is eligible to form the government but before
    we go to that point we need to form the Prime Minister first,"
    Korn Dabbaransi said.

    Thailand's new parliament will have 400 constituency
    members of parliament and 100 MPs elected from a party list.

    Analysts say Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party could win as
    many as 243 seats, while Chuan's Democrat Party would come
    second with 78.


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