PPP - Democrat coalition possible: Surapong

"If it is extremely necessary for the national government to emerge, then the PPP is ready to cooperate with every party, the Democrats included," he said in an interview with Channel 9.

Surapong said his party was trying to garner a majority of votes for its coalition formation and that his party leader Samak Sundaravej was ready for the job as prime minister.

He dismissed speculation that his party would nominate him as the prime minister and designate Samak as the House speaker.

At this juncture, the PPP's top priority was about the campaigning and not about the various formulas to form the coalition, he said, adding that any serious negotiations with coalition partners would need the voting outcome as a starting point.

He said his party would not repeat its mistake of forming such a strong government as to be perceived as a parliamentarian dictatorship.

He said former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra would return to clear his name through due process following the balloting.

In a Uturn, he said his party would not rush to grant amnesty to the 111 banned party executives nor dismantle the Assets Examination Committee because its term was close to expire.

The Nation