Around 200 people from 70 civic groups rally at the Democracy Monument yesterday, seeking greater political participation and demanding ‘a new world of equality that people can create’.

Law veteran Meechai Ruchuphan looks likely to edge out Prasong Soonsiri in

a fierce contest to be president of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which will hold its first session today.

Political sources said both sides were neck and neck in their contest to become the president of the NLA, with each mustering support of at least 100. There remain about 40 swing votes, spread among representatives of the academics and the media.

"From a survey with our colleagues in the NLA, the votes for Meechai and Prasong are very close. The decisive votes should come from the remaining 42 votes, who have not decided whom they would support," said Adm Bannawit Kengrieng, deputy permanent secretary at the Defence Ministry.

Adm Bannawit said he personally would cast his vote for Prasong because he was decisive and could move fast.

However, another member of the NLA said if other candidates were nominated to contest the presidency, then Prasong's votes would be undermined further because Meechai's supporters have already formed a strong base.

Other nominees for the NLA presidency include Gothom Arya, former National Economic and Social Development Council head; Suraphol Nitikraiphoj, rector of Thammasat University; Sujit Boonbongkarn, a former judge of the Constitution Court; and Juree Vichid-vadakarn, secretary-general of Transparency Thailand.

"The only way to beat Meechai is to get Prasong to withdraw as a candidate and then nominate only one name," an NLA member said.

In the first session of the NLA, 88-year-old Khunying Nanthaka Supraphatanand, who is the most senior member, will act as chairperson of the session to vote for the president.

But supporters of Prasong claim that Khunying Nanthaka is part of a game plan to help Meechai win the presidency.

"We don't know yet what the rules are for picking the president. It depends on the chairperson of the session. One only has to take a look at the chairperson to realise who is gaining the upper-hand in this contest," one supporter of Prasong said.

Meechai, a former president of the Senate, played a key role during the coup by acting as legal adviser to the military elite, who staged the coup to oust the caretaker government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Prasong also advised the military rulers on most political moves during the coup.

Khunying Nanthaka has a close working relationship with Meechai.

Apart from picking the president for the NLA, the members will also vote for the first and

second deputy president. The Meechai camp has designated Gen Jaral Kulavanich and Pojanee Thanavaranich as candidates for first and second deputy president respectively. The Prasong camp has nominated Dr Chai-anan Samudvanija and Sangsit Piriya-rangsan, respectively.

Meechai has also enjoyed strong support from Gen Vinai Phathiyakul, secretary-general of the Council of National Security, the body of military rulers behind the coup. However, key military rulers have rejected this link as groundless.

Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the army chief, said he has never exercised his power to lobby for anybody to become president of the NLA. "We can't get involved in the democratic process. These candidates are all knowledgeable. We would like to have the selection process done in a democratic way. Any candidate who gets the majority vote will become president," he said.

Gen Sonthi said he would not approve a military general being head of the NLA because it would not look good for Thailand's image in the international community.

Meechai's candidacy has been strongly opposed from several political groups, who claim that he used to serve Thaksin before and also authored a legislative bill to give clemency to the military rulers under Gen Suchinda Kraprayoon, who staged a coup in 1991.

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Panya Thiewsangwan

The Nation