RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Banharn cautious about joining Abhisit

Samak offers to be the negotiator

ANUCHA CHAROENPO

Head man Chart Thai party candidate Paiboon Pimpisitthavorn chats with people at a bus terminal in Kanchanaburi's Muang district yesterday. He is accompanied by a campaign worker wearing a mask of the face of Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa.

Suphan Buri _ Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa has responded cautiously to an invitation by Democrat chief Abhisit Vejjajiva to join him in a coalition government, saying the time was not right to talk about the offer with an election pending.

The Suphan Buri politician thanked Mr Abhisit for the opportunity, but said he would leave any comments until after Sunday.

''We will talk [about forming a government] after the election,'' he said while campaigning at the Suphan Buri municipal market.

Mr Abhisit announced his intention during a debate organised by the Bangkok Post and its alliances on Wednesday.

The mid-sized Chart Thai, which expects to win around 30 seats, will be a key player in formation of the next government. It is likely to be courted by both the Democrats and the People Power party (PPP), a nominee of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party, after the election.

Mr Banharn denied reports that his party had held talks with the PPP and the Puea Pandin party on a possible coalition.

His eldest daughter, Kanchana, who is standing as a party-list candidate in zone 7, accompanied her father yesterday. She is hopeful that at least two party-list MPs from Chart Thai will be elected. Her prediction was based on the 300,000 party-list votes which the party won in the 2005 election.

The same vote would be enough to get two seats in this election, she said.

''Thais need this poll so they can get an elected government to solve long-standing problems, especially with the economy,'' she said.

PPP leader Samak Sundaravej brushed aside Mr Abhisit's offer to form a coalition with Chart Thai and offered himself as a negotiator in the government's formation, saying he knows all the parties well.

The Democrat leader moved too quickly in making the offer to Chart Thai, he said.

''I am not worried that the PPP will be isolated because we will win a lot of seats,'' Mr Samak said. ''I cannot say if we will win the most seats because others might be jealous.''

Pracharaj party leader Sanoh Thienthong said any talks about the government's formation must be done behind closed doors to avoid conflicts and confrontations.

''We are currently witnessing a face-off between two heavyweight parties. One party will take the lead in forming the government, and will block the other,'' he said.

The party which wins the most seats may give up the premiership to parties which come in third, fourth or fifth.

''But right now, it is still not clear who will be the next prime minister,'' he said.

 

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