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Published on October 31, 2007

The general election is less than two months away, popularity surveys have shown very positive results, anti-Abhisit fever remains a remote possibility and the party has Thaksin Shinawatra as its selling point. Last but not least, the powers-that-be are working extra hours to help the PPP with the best possible propaganda.

That the PPP is privately aiming for a staggering 250-seat election sweep is no longer something to laugh at, considering the naivety contest now in full swing among its opponents. Unless the likes of the Council for National Security and the Election Commission come to their senses, many people's worst fears will be realised on December 23.

Having brought legal charges against Thaksin, frozen his assets and banned core members of his dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party from the upcoming election, the interim rulers couldn't help but cross the line - and in such a clumsy manner. Their intention to block the political aspirations of Thaksin's supporters not only smacks of dictatorship, but also seems to have been implemented by fools who have left fingerprints all over the place.

Samak Sundaravej, who has apparently found his feet after a bad start as PPP leader, must be smiling. A veteran like him knows that the kind of "Stop the PPP at all costs" documents are just what his party needs. With a large portion of the Shinawatras' assets frozen and Thaksin needing to save up to bid for world-class soccer players next year, Samak surely would like the December 23 election to be decided in an old-fashioned way - where public sympathy lies.

Thaksin's alleged corruption is one thing, his political ideas are another. Having punished him for undermining the rule of law, the powers-that-be are on the verge of making the big mistake many critics have warned us about. And by trying to demonise innocent people who like Thaksin's political ideas, the interim leaders have inadvertently romanticised their campaign.

Since Thaksin is all but politically finished, common sense calls for the spirit of democracy to be resuscitated. Instead we have learned about the controversial orders stating the "threats" posed by the PPP. This is a typical dictatorial, paranoid symptom. And at a time when the world is watching and faith in the controversial September 19 coup wearing thin, Samak definitely can't believe his luck.

And the EC has been of great help. While all are affected by the innovative election campaign rules - such as the one that bans candidates standing and speaking on modified vehicles, apparently for their own safety - critics can't be blamed for assuming that the regulations were designed to make life harder for the PPP. Superficially, the rules that restrict everything from where you put posters to media airtime should create a level playing field. In reality, it's a giant "Let's buy votes" billboard mounted on the Thai political landscape.

It's hasn't been an easy task, but those in power have managed to turn Samak from a freedom oppressor, and a proud one at that, into a human rights champion. But despite his past record and his defiant vow to whitewash Thaksin, the spirit of democracy demands that we wait and see. The rule of democracy dictates that if Samak is to become Thailand's next prime minister, then so be it. A strong democracy must embrace Samak and be able to take care of him if he wins power and goes on to break the rule of law in the process of helping Thaksin. So far he's just a belligerent and provocative political leader with a bad democratic background. He can make your blood boil, but the bottom line is that he hasn't committed any crime yet.

The question is, how we can achieve a strong democracy with those out-of-this-world EC rules and "Beware PPP" documents. Thailand is ready for new turmoil, horse-trading and unstable coalition governments, as long as nobody stays above the rule of law. The crackdown on Thaksin and Co restored a semblance of the rule of law, which was, at that time, the key missing ingredient of democracy. Here we are at a new juncture.

The PPP, with its ties to the ousted leader, will put to a new test the spirit of our shaky democracy. We have seen much irony in our political crisis but there's more to come. Dictatorship seeks to uproot, but in a democracy, you tell opponents, "Let's fight under fairer rules".

Tulsathit Taptim

The Nation