tanunya: Yingluck, Pheu Thai win in a landslide

Yingluck, Pheu Thai win in a landslide

AUTHORITIES, EMBASSIES ON ALERT

Published: 3/07/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Rookie politician Yingluck Shinawatra has led Pheu Thai Party to an overwhelming election win, throwing out the Democrat-led government and winning some 310 or more of the 500 seats in parliament. Official results were expected by 10pm (1500 GMT) from the Election Commission.

Assuming the exit polls are even close, Ms Yingluck is set to be the country's first female prime minister.
Official results were expected by 10pm (1500 GMT) from the Election Commission.Abhisit Vejjajiva, the acting and now outgoing prime minister, conceded defeat two hours before any official results were announced.

The win by Ms Yingluck heralds the return of a government with close ties to her elder brother, the fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. From exile, Thaksin called for a coalition government led by Ms Yingluck, with a goal of reconciliation.
A quick poll on the BangkokPost.com website showed that many people fear renewed violence as a result of the poll despite calls by more level heads to accept the results of the election and move ahead.

Ms Yingluck arrived at Pheu Thai headquarters on Sunday afternoon to await the results. ``Thank you to the people who cameout to vote,'' she said, as she was nearly mobbed by supporters.

She is a political unknown, who talked in general terms of populist economics and political reconciliation - which some believe is a code for trying to bring Thaksin back to Thailand with amnesty for all past actions.

The new government, said both Ms Yingluck and Thaksin, will include minor parties - a coalition even though Pheu Thai appears to hold an outright majority for the second time in a decade.

Ms Yingluck said she had spoken to leaders of the Chartthaipattana Party, which would switch allegiance from the Democrats in order to remain in government.

The vote was a huge defeat for Mr Abhisit and the Democrats. Mr Abhisit never looked comfortable on the campaign trail, as opposed to Ms Yingluck, whose minders ran a careful campaign that emphasised her looks and smile. Even before the election, there were strong suggestions that in case of a loss, the Democrats would ease Mr Abhisit from his position as party leader.

In comparison with the British born, Oxford-educated Mr Abhisit, Ms Yingluck was educated at Chiang Mai University, and then earned a masters degree in public administration at Kentucky State University in the United States.
In an interview from Dubai shown nationally on Thai PBS, Thaksin was subdued and called the election "a step forward".

"People are tired of a standstill," he said. "They want to see change in a peaceful manner."

Thaksin said he did not feel vengeful and was "ready to forgive all."

"I think people want to see reconciliation. They want to move forward. Puea Thai came up with a clear policy of reconciliation. We will not seek revenge," he added.

That was somewhat ironic. Thaksin is the one under a two-year prison sentence for influence peddling on behalf of his then-wife. One of the most serious questions is now whether Ms Yingluck will try to have him pardoned, a move that could spark major political strife and possible violence.

In his final campaign rally last Friday night, Mr Abhisit told voters that "It's us or chaos". In his concession on Sunday evening, carried live on all TV stations, he simply congratulated Ms Yingluck.

"It is now clear from the election results so far that the Puea Thai Party has won the election, and the Democrat Party concedes defeat. I would like to congratulate the Puea Thai Party for the right to form a government."

Mr Abhisit said that Pheu Thai failed to win 50 per cent of the popular vote, and the Democrats, as the main oppositin party, would oppose amnesty for politicians, obviously including Thaksin.

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha repeated his vow to keep the army out of politics. Defence Minister Prawit called on everyone to stop speculating about a coup.

Academics were on the fence. "The future depends on whether the traditional elite will be willing to accept the voice of the people," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Bangkok Post Oped contributor, resident at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.