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Published on October 30, 2007

People Power Party leader Samak Sun-daravej must be made prime minister if the party gains the most seats, spokesman Kuthep Saikrachang said yesterday.

A poll sponsored by the party had suggested it would win 250 MP seats outside of the South.

"I assure you if People Power Party gets more votes and more seats than the others, we will be more eligible to form a government than any other party," Kuthep said.

"We won't let a minority party form a government like in the past when the Social Action Party got 18 MP seats and its leader MR Kukrit Pramoj became prime minister," he said.

The party will definitely not let another party's leader take the post, he said.

Secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee told the party's candidates at yesterday's seminar that a poll by the party had showed it would win 55 seats in the North, 100 seats in the Northeast, 40 in the Central plains and 15 in Bangkok. It would also get 40 party-list seats, Kuthep said.

Samak warned the party's 339 candidates to be careful not to break the law while

campaigning, the spokesman said.

The candidates included 64 from the North, 131 from the Northeast, 65 from the Central, 46 from the South and 33 from Bangkok. There are only four constituencies for which the party has yet to name candidates.

Samak also told the meeting not to be worried about former Thai Rak Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra being an adviser, as long as it did not violate the law and the Election Commission (EC) approves of it. The party could seek advice from Thaksin anyway, even if the EC did not approve, he said.

The party can launch campaigns but without using Thaksin's photographs, Kuthep said.

However, it would wait for the EC's regulations before revising its media campaign.

The party yesterday also announced 12 policies for its campaign platform, most of them borrowed from ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai party.

Deputy secretary-general Noppadon Pattama said the party would utilise and adapt the populist policies of the Thaksin government as well as improve on policies of the current administration.

Among the policies the party promises to implement if it wins the election are: no tax increases; a debt moratorium for farmers; further development of the Village Fund; allocation of the Small Medium Large fund (Bt300,000, Bt500,000, Bt700,000), implement the second stage of the One Tambon One Product project; set up a People Bank; increase capital for small- and medium-sized enterprises; distribute one million cattle to 100,000 farms; price guarantees for agricultural produce; allow people who find employment overseas to pay the job placement fee after starting work; and proceed with CEO-style provincial governors.

The party also promised to improve the Bt30-per-hospital-visit scheme by allowing people to use ID cards for any treatment, including emergency healthcare. Workers with social security will enjoy coverage for their families as well.

Students will be given educational loans that they can pay back after they get jobs, a project which would be funded by the two- and three-digit lottery. The party pledged to help teachers reduce their debts and give village heads the same healthcare coverage enjoyed by bureaucrats.

The party also promised to build proper roads connecting every village and to replace the dirt roads within four years. It also plans to establish centres to help vocational students start businesses and a new Thailand Knowledge Park project to develop online libraries.

The party also announced the line-up of its 35 women candidates, saying it would field the most number of women candidates among the political parties contesting the election.

The women candidates include former MPs and MP candidates such as Karuna Chidchob, Puwanida Khunpalin and Supamas Isarapakdi. Among the new women candidates are Leelawadee Watcharobol, Chinnicha Wongsawat, Parichart Chaleekrau and Pattana Sangkhasap.

Kesinee Jaikawang

The Nation