The Democrat Party’s TV ad campaign promotes Abhisit as a modern and capable leader.

The Democrat Party has made a rare - and expensive - move in launching a TV commercial featuring its young leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, as a modern and capable leader who "puts the people first".

The slogan clearly is a reply to that of the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party, which claims that "Our heart is the people".

The advertisement campaign - along with a nationwide public relations blitz to be officially launched on Sunday - is an apparent Democrat attempt to take advantage of the governing party's declining popularity and perceived serious flaws in Thaksin Shinawatra, the embattled Thai Rak Thai leader and caretaker prime minister.

The ad, which debuted on Friday, paints the picture of a Thailand in which there is no social conflict, where poorer people can live with dignity and can rely on themselves, and where the leader is honest and works devotedly for the people. It promises to reduce the cost of living, raise wages and invest more in education. Thaksin has recently been accused of fuelling social conflict. His honesty and devotion to public causes have been questioned. And his populist policies have been blamed for encouraging consumerism - and the resultant heavy indebtedness - among the poorer villagers.

More TV ads in the series are going on air. They promise what Abhisit, 41, and his party will do if they become part of the next government.

A campaign with the focus on one individual is rare for the generally conservative Democrat Party, which has spent a large portion of its 60-year existence in the opposition camp.

After losing two elections to a young political party with a clever publicity campaign, the country's oldest surviving political party this time is trying to make its rival swallow a dose of its own medicine. The Democrats also are gambling big on their young leader, who has been in politics for 14 years and served brief Cabinet stints.

It appears that while the advertising campaign is playing up the flaws in Thaksin, it also is trying to downplay Abhisit's perceived weaknesses.

These include the fact that

his stints as a Cabinet member were brief and that he is only

41 years old, which for many political observers is rather young for a prime minister.

In his exclusive interview with The Nation last week, Abhisit tried to underline his forte - eloquence. He challenged Thaksin to a head-to-head television debate, something the Thai Rak Thai leader appears to be avoiding.

"If he thinks he has done the right things, what is he so afraid of? " Abhisit said.

In addition to a series of TV ads, the Democrats' campaign blitz includes billboards and other media, according to Theptai Senpong, party election-management centre spokesman. These are part of a nationwide PR blitz to be launched on Sunday, he said.

A party official expressed concern that the expensive promotional campaign would almost deplete the party's coffers.

Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said recently that the political party has no large financiers and that most of its funding comes from monthly contributions from party members and MPs, in addition to a subsidy from the Election Commission.

With its long role in politics, the Democrat Party has left many bad memories among voters that its current politicians need to rectify in order to win enough support to form the next government.

The Democrats will need more than the exciting TV commercials and Abhisit's eloquence to win the hearts of most voters.

They will have to convince them that the party is capable of running the country efficiently, honestly, and fairly.

 Kittipong Thavevong

 The Nation