Opening day stirs emotions

After a frenzied round of party barndancing, candidates for the 2007 election got down to the real business of politics yesterday with constituency registration that inspired passion, cheers and tears, and fits of pique.

At the heart of the opening day of registration was the desperate grab for those precious lucky ballot numbers that would help make it easy for voters to remember the candidate and party. But the rules that were laid down yesterday could now make that difficult for some.

Candidates from eight political parties turned up at the ThaiJapan Youth Welfare Centre before 8.30am, the starting time of registration. They were from the Democrats, Puea Pandin, Matchima Thipataya, Chart Thai, People Power, Prachakorn Thai, Pracharaj and New Aspiration.

It took 40 minutes of quibbling to agree on the rules for candidate numbering.

The candidates drew their ballot numbers, but were not allowed to opt for the same numbers in each constituency.

In the 12 constituencies of Bangkok, with three seats available in each, it had been initially proposed that the candidates from the same party could use the same numbers throughout.

But some parties, including Pracharaj, New Aspiration and Prachakorn Thai, are not field¬ing candidates in every con¬stituency. So, uniform numbering would have meant candidate numbers in some con¬stituencies remaining vacant.

Confusing the situation even more, Bangkok Election Commission chairman Ping Rungsamai said candidates who registered at a later stage would not be entitled to get the same numbers that their colleagues had drawn in the morn¬ing.

The candidates and the EC then agreed to a separate draw for each constituency. The process involved one of the three candidates from each party drawing a constituency number and the other two would then automatically get the subsequent successive number.

Puea Pandin candidates struck it lucky when they got the coveted numbers 1, 2 and 3 in six of the 12 capital constituen¬cies, the easiest numbers to remember.

For the rest, there was some rumination needed. People Power's Wattana Sengpairoh, when asked the ballot number he was given, had to pause and think. After being unable to reply, he said he would need some time to remember it.

Some were clearly unhappy.

Matchima Thipataya's Bangkok candidates in Constituency 2 were in conflict over who would get which number. The team drew the number 1, which meant its candidates would place in the first three on the ballot.

The candidates were listed in order as Ayuth Jirachaipravit, Pichien Amnatworaprasert and Supaporn Saengthong. But Pichien put his name at num¬ber 1 and Ayuth at number 3, which did not please him and he cried foul to the EC.

The commission said it was up to the party to decide. Ayuth, who was unable to contact key party members to sort the prob¬lem out, said he would file a criminal lawsuit against Pichien and the EC officials who accepted the documents from Pichien.

Amid the bickering and disarray, the normal registration day clamour of competing polit¬ical parties was more subdued this year. Officials restricted the number of supporters allowed to follow each candidate to the registration area, so the atmos¬phere was not as boisterous as the partylist registration last week.

Nevertheless, celebrities like Kachapa Tancharoen, Pinsuda Tanpairoh and Angie Hestings came to give morale support to their friends while Suthida Thamrojphinij was there to back her husband Boonsit who is standing in constituency 1 for the Matchima Thipataya Party.

Even though things were more restrained, People Power Party seemed to gain an advantage over the other parties on the day thanks to Yuranan Pharmornmontree, a former Thai Rak Thai (TRT) MP in Din Daeng, where the ThaiJapanese Youth Welfare Centre is located. Fittingly, the locals who turned out were mostly supporters of People Power Party and Yuranan.

Yuranan and his colleagues Chalermchai Mahagitsiri and Phuwanida Kunplin will run in constituency 3, which takes in Din Daeng, Huay Kwang, Lat Praw and Wang Thong Lang, while their rivals from the Democrat Party will likely maintain a discreet silence.

Apart from Ayuth's dis¬tressed cries, the main noise that emanated from yesterday's gathering came from party sup¬porters who waved posters and shouted insults to their rivals while waiting for their candi¬dates.

Much of the media spotlight initially fell on wellknown per¬sonalities, especially those entering politics for the first time, but it wasn't long before they had to step aside for the real political high rollers.

Among them were Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, PPP leader Samak Sundaravej, who turned up with TRT's former Bangkok group chairman Sudarat Keyuraphan and Chalerm Yoobamrung, Chart Thai deputy leader Korn Dabbarangsi, Paveena Hongsakul and Janista Liewchalermkul.

After drawing their ballot numbers, the candidates then jumped onto their campaign wagons and set off in assorted caravans. PPP candidates set up a small rally in front of the youth centre to introduce themselves and make known their num¬bers.

In the provinces, many veteran politicians were lucky to claim the propitious number 1 spot on the ballot.

Puea Pandin Party leader Suwit Khunkitti gained top spot when he registered to run in Khon Kaen's Constituency 3. His two running mates, Mukda Pongsombat and Pathumrat Khunngern, fell into line behind him.

Sanan Kachornprasart reg¬istered his candidacy in Phichit's Constituency 2 and received number 1 even though he picked the draw after representatives from competing parties.

Meanwhile, Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana candidate Winai Phattaraprasit, younger brother of party secretary general Pradit, registered to run in Phichit's Constituency 1 and gained the leading spot.

Chart Thai Party leader Banharn Silapaarcha could not stifle a smile when he too drew the lucky number in Suphan Buri's Constituency 1. Banharn drew the lucky number 13 last week in the partylist MP registration.

His running mates - Warawut Silapaarcha and Natthawut Prasertsuwan - will slot into the next

two places behind him.

People Power's candidate Surapong Towichakchaikul's supporters wore face masks depicting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra when he went to register his application.

Chart Thai's candidate Charinrat Phutpuan became the first candidate to apply in Chiang Mai.

Democrat senior advisor Chuan Leekpai lead party candidates to register for seats in Trang. Chuan is a partylist candidate.

The atmosphere at registration centres in the southern provinces were scenes of liveliness despite strong security. The caravans of supporters gave flowers to their candidates.

Kornchanok Raksaseri,

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation