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Published on August 31, 2007

"The campaigning hasn't even started and Abhisit should not be so sure about the vote," he said.

Samak was responding to Abhisit's remarks on Wednesday that the Democrats would never form an alliance with Samak because his party was seen as a new home for remnants of the ousted government.

"Abhisit always wants to pick a fight but my party will not be engaged in a conflict," he said.

He said he accepted the PPP leadership because he wanted to help out former Thai Rak Thai MPs who were not convicted in the electoral fraud case.

He dismissed speculation that his party was receiving funds from former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and said that his role was limited to looking after about 270 former MPs.

"The main reason I returned to politics is to salvage the country's reputation and uphold the monarchy," he said in reference to the September 19 coup.

He said he could not remain on the sideline after foreign critics tried to link the monarchy to the coup.

Commenting on an allegation that he was Thaksin's political nominee, he said he saw no negative connotation in the term, and that it had no legal implications in civil, criminal or electoral laws.

"If my critics want to block my political career, they should push for just one provision and that is to ban Samak," he said.

Samak also said his party had no objection to the general election being scheduled on December 23.

"Normally polling has to be scheduled 55 days in advance and this time, however, every party has been informed 120 days before the elections," he said.

Samak said he believed the December 23 date was picked to enable a "latecomer" to join the race.

Every party wants the elections to take place as soon as possible and critics should take heart that His Majesty the King made a royal decision to move forward the promulgation of the 2007 Constitution from August 27 to August 24, he said.

The Nation