Voters urged to teach Thai Rak Thai lesson

Mongkol Bangprapa

The Democrat Party has unveiled its ``Bangkok election command post'' in preparation for the upcoming gubernatorial race and urged voters to teach the government a lesson by picking its candidate Apirak Kosayothin.

Party leader Banyat Bantadtan officially opened the party's election nerve centre: three modified cargo containers equipped with state-of-the-art communications equipment.

The command post has two satellite dishes with TV monitors to follow up on the news. Satellite links would also ensure the fast transmission of information.

He said the centre will map out election strategies, select party members to address campaign crowds, watch out for poll cheats, arrange special and supplemental election activities and manage intelligence work.

Mr Banyat said the centre featured an anti-phone bugging equipment to keep its poll secrets from being tapped into.

He said it was becoming common even for the media to be evesdropped on.

Pradit Pattaraprasit, Democrat party's secretary-general, said the party leased the electronic equipment and the satellite channel which was not being operated by the company controlled by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The satellite transmission would be beamed to specific target areas which would evade bugging attempts.

He said the party would be willing to declare the expenses incurred from running the centre to the Election Commission.

Party heavyweights also addressed a crowd of some 300 supporters, saying the people of Bangkok who were displeased with the government should vote for Mr Apirak. That way they would teach the government and the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party a lesson.

The party said the outcome of the upcoming Bangkok election would be a ``taste of things to come,'' as it would serve as a reliable forecast of the general elections early next year.

The Democrats also slammed the Thai Rak Thai for sending Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, the prime minister's adviser, to find an independent candidate who would look certain to receive backing from the ruling party.

The party earlier announced it would not field a candidate, rather would let Maj-Gen Chamlong, the former Palang Dharma Party leader and former Bangkok governor, find a person to enter the race.

The Democrats said the ruling party decided not to nominate a candidate because it was afraid of being defeated in the poll since its popularity was declining among city voters.

But at the same time it also wanted to take away votes from Mr Apirak, said the Democrats.

Arkom Engchuan, the Democrat MP for Krabi, said Maj-Gen Chamlong was deceiving people by pretending to distance himself from the Thai Rak Thai while at the same time scouting for a candidate to represent the party.

``Bangkok folks beware and be wise and don't let them fool you,'' he said.