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Published on December 8, 2007

The Democrat Party remains upbeat about overtaking the People Power Party in the zone-based race.

"I'm not worrying because the numbers are close with two weeks left to woo voters and secure victory," party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

He was referring to an opinion poll predicting 39 party-list seats for the PPP and 33 for the Democrats.

Abhisit said he knew that his party would slightly trail the PPP even before the survey results came out.

But he remained hopeful more voters would switch to his camp.

At the start of campaigning, many surveys showed the PPP ahead by a wide margin but the gap was getting smaller, he said. Voters still have two weeks to make up their minds on charting the future of the country, he said, while pinning hopes on swing votes, as about two out of every three voters say they're still undecided.

He ruled out possible political paralysis, pledging his party's commitment to "upholding normalcy" regardless of the ballot outcome.

Chief adviser Chuan Leekpai said his party's popularity was improving at a promising rate.

"I don't know whether we can beat the PPP in proportionate votes but my party will definitely win more than the projected 33 seats," he said.

It might happen that swing votes could see the Democrats and the PPP each winning 36 party-list seats, he said.

Abhisit and Chuan were speaking on the sidelines of their electioneering activities. The party leader was hustling votes in Bangkok while the chief adviser was leading a jeep convoy to meet constituents in the South.

The Nation