The Democrat Party has set its sights on winning at least 20 House seats in Bangkok in the March 24 general election by keeping its old fans and wooing first-time voters, deputy party leader Korn Chatikavanij said.
Deputy party leader and chairman of the party's policy committee, Mr Korn said he is confident the party will capture at least 20 constituency seats in Bangkok where a total of 30 seats are up for grabs in the poll.
He said he believes that the party's former Bangkok MPs who will contest the election will still be able to retain the seats they won in the previous election because they have worked hard to maintain close contact with their constituents over the past five years.
Mr Korn added the party has fielded what he calls "new generation'' politicians, who were carefully chosen by the party as candidates to contend in Bangkok's constituencies. He said they also stand a good chance of winning in constituencies where the party has never won in the past, such as in Sai Mai and Min Buri districts.
The party's hard work and regular contact with Bangkok residents are crucial to winning voter support, Mr Korn said.
In addition, some former Democrat MPs have defected to other political parties, which could put a dent in the party's support base. However, the party also expects to gain support from a large number of first-time voters in the election, he said.
According to the Election Commission, there will be around 7 million first-time voters who are expected to cast their ballots. Mr Korn said the party's "New Dem'' group comprising young politicians also took part in devising policies to woo young voters.
One of those policies includes allowing start-ups to give feedback on how the government can improve public services, and using start-ups as troubleshooters for state agencies. This will benefit the public and also help with power decentralisation, Mr Korn said.
He insisted that these policies show that the Democrat Party is an "advanced and modern party", not a conservative one as it has been labelled by its political rivals.
