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Published on August 2, 2007

A new banner, a figurehead leader and a huge campaign war chest are the deathly hallows proclaimed by remnants of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party in their fight for resurrection.

The Thai Rak Thai plot bears a striking resemblance to the story line of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by JK Rowling. Party remnants should take heart that the dark lord of Thai politics might die at the end, just like his counterpart in the wizard world.

In the latest twist of the political drama, the disbanded party will take over the People Power Party, a little known group with some 7,800 members.

It is still not clear whether Thai Rak Thai will hoist the People Power flag for the general election or redesign it into the Thai Ruam Thai banner as has initially been planned.

The party banner, in whichever name adopted, will act like an invisibility cloak for Thai Rak Thai remnants to help them hide the excess baggage of the electoral fraud conviction which led to the disbanding of the former ruling party.

About 200 political veterans are expected to ride the coat-tails of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to protect their respective strongholds. Although many are banned party executives, they will bide their time through their proxies.

Since the September 19 coup, the political landscape has significantly changed. But diehard supporters of the ousted government seem to have trapped themselves in a time warp. They believe Thaksin's popularity can return them to the corridors of power.

By their own realistic assessment, Thai Rak Thai-turned-People Power members do not expect to form the next government. They are hoping to become a strong opposition - a springboard from which to work their way back into power. It remains to be seen whether Thai Rak Thai remnants will work for the greater good of society or assume the vanguard to exact Thaksin's revenge.

Moving from a party with 14 million members to a new home of mere thousands, it is understandable why the party remnants would want to resurrect an outspoken politician as Thaksin's proxy.

Under an old plan, Thaksin gave his blessing to his henchman Surapong Suebwonglee to steer the new party. But unfavourable reaction to Surapong, seen as a political greenhorn, might have prompted a change of heart.

Reports by party insiders said Thaksin recently had a telephone conversation with political veteran Samak Sundaravej in a bid to convince him to take the party's helm on his behalf.

Everything is ready if Samak consents to be the People Power figurehead.

A political marriage of convenience is in the making. Samak is slated to come out of retirement to have a second chance at a last hurrah, which he did not quite accomplish previously. Thai Rak Thai will gain a battering ram for a political payback.

The catch is whether Thaksin has got himself an invaluable front man or a hard-headed ally who can be very unpredictable if offended.

In resurrecting Samak, survivors of the Thai Rak Thai wreckage may gain both a buoy to keep them afloat and a dead-weight that could drag them down.

When combined with the new banner and figurehead, massive financing is expected to pave the way for Thaksin and his supporters to crawl out of their predicament.

The junta has managed to level the political playing field by sending off Thaksin. But the problem is that the ousted leader sees himself as bigger than the game.

In 2001 and with a war chest of about Bt20 billion, he grabbed power via money politicking. Six years later and after having Bt60 billion of his assets frozen, he still flaunts his wealth to Thais by buying Manchester City football club.

Now his supporters want to resurrect his political life and their own. If they are successful, the symbiotic relationship between Thaksin and the Thai Rak Thai remnants will bring back an authoritarian regime.

Voters will soon render their judgement on the fate of Thailand. Will the country advance forward or be forever mired in the vanity of one rich man?

Avudh Panananda

The Nation