The prime minister said Monday his party won more than half of the popular
vote in a weekend election after weeks of anti-government protests, exceeding a
threshold he had set before the balloting for staying in office.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
gestures to the media as he arrives at 'Thai Rak Thai' party headquarters
in Bangkok April 3, 2006. [AP] |
Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also offered to resign if asked to do so by a
neutral national reconciliation committee that he would appoint.
Thaksin said he was willing to set up a committee of three former prime
ministers, three former supreme court chairmen and three former heads of
Parliament to represent different points of view in the political crisis, which
stems from demands by his critics that he step down because of alleged
corruption and abuse of power.
He said his Thai Rak Thai party received more than 50 percent of the popular
vote in Sunday's election, although its vote total declined from last year's
total.
Thaksin had vowed before the polls to step down if his party received less
than 50 percent of the votes cast.
Speaking on a talk show on government-operated TV Channel 11, Thaksin said
his party received 16 million, or 57 percent out of 28 million votes cast.
Earlier, a tally by Thai television station iTV indicated his party had
received 44.4 percent of the popular vote nationwide, with 85 percent, or
28,084,686 votes counted.
The Election Commission has not yet released comprehensive official vote
totals.
Thaksin said his party last year received 19 million votes ¡ª a figure he has
frequently cited as legitimizing his rule.
Although the opposition boycotted the election, voters in Bangkok and
southern Thailand sent a strong protest message that is likely to inflame the
political crisis.
The opposition boycott left Thaksin's ruling party uncontested in 278 of 400
constituencies for the lower house of Parliament, leaving little doubt from the
start that the embattled prime minister would be returned to office despite
allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
Thaksin called the election three years early to reassert his mandate after
weeks of growing street protests demanding his resignation. His opponents accuse
him of corruption, abuse of power and eviscerating the institutions of
Thailand's fragile democracy.
Leaders from the opposition had urged supporters to tick
the box on ballots signifying a "No Vote," or an abstention.