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Published on December 22, 2007

Rival political parties are making last-ditch efforts to win votes before the election tomorrow.

After delivering long lists of promises through populist schemes, some have gone for the "hard sell". The People Power Party (PPP) is stressing that it desperately needs to win more than half of the lower house, 240 of 480 seats.

A new campaign message stands out on its billboards and media ads nationwide that says: "It's time to stop quarrelling. Vote PPP so it gets more than half the House seats to solve the national crisis".

What makes PPP different from rival parties is it's fighting for the legitimacy of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the coup in September 2006.

There is strong expectation that its fierce rival the Democrat Party plans to form the next government with the Chart Thai, Puea Pandin and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana parties. Thus, PPP must win more than 240 MP seats to have any chance of leading the next government.

It has become obvious to the public that Thaksin is the real PPP leader, not Samak Sundaravej. Further evidence of this was Thaksin's only son Panthongtae joining a PPP rally to try to woo voters to support People Power candidates.

If people vote for PPP candidates, they are indicating they want Thaksin to return to the Kingdom, almost as a hero.

The PPP campaign has also received an indirect boost from the 111 banned executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, who on Wednesday launched a website - www.secondclass111.com, which has their views on how to overcome the political turmoil.

With PPP expected to win the ballot, they have called for all parties to accept the results in order "to avoid chaos and allow the country to move forward".

Meanwhile, the Democrat Party this week has played down its two campaign messages, "People's Agenda" and "Urgent Operation Plan Doable in 99 Days" after several surveys showed PPP's popularity was growing.

The party opted to revive a strategy that targeted Thaksin during previous ballots.

The Democrats are now on the attack with a new campaign message that says: "Voting for a corrupt leader [Thaksin] will lead to a new round of crisis, but the country will survive if people vote for the Democrats - the new political generation with an honest leader [Abhisit]".

The party wants to remind voters its chief adviser Chuan Leekpai, who had two terms as prime minister, was praised for his "personal honesty". So if people want honesty to help save the nation, the Democrats must be their choice.

Abhisit has also underlined his stand by saying he'd be a "true" prime minister if his party lead the next government, but said Samak would only be a nominee of Thaksin if the People Power leader became the new PM.

With the final campaign messages of the two major parties appearing to widen rifts in society, Puea Pandin Party has seized the chance to portray itself as an alternative. It has asked people to vote for its candidates with a promise that it would make a fresh start for peace and reconciliation.

Rows among political groups should come to an end, Puea Pandin says, otherwise the country would never be able to move forward.

Moreover, Puea Pandin has made its stand in the Northeast, which is the region with the most number of seats, with 135 of the 400 MP constituencies.

While People Power is ahead in popularity, Puea Pandin leader Suwit Khunkitti is challenging for the post of prime minister with a message of "regionalism".

After representing the northeastern province of Khon Kaen as an MP for several terms, Suwit is now vowing to be a premier for Isaan people.

The Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party has come up with a similar message to Puea Pandin. The party is warning electorates to think twice if they vote for parties involved in the ongoing political conflict [the PPP and the Democrats] and is presenting its rise to power as a solution to the crisis.

And despite this being the final week, the Chart Thai Party is still playing safe. Its leader Banharn Silapa-archa has given all political groups a headache over which side he will join after the election - People Power or the Democrats.

The party's campaign is still focused on policies and avoids making any commitment to either party over formation of a coalition government.

The trouble-ridden Matchima Thipataya Party has shown the final week is only a countdown to hopelessness.

The last bid to keep the party afloat was party leader Prachai Leophairatana insisting he would continue to run even though the Criminal Court sentenced him to three years jail for stock manipulation.

He says a vote for his party would not be futile, as he insists he's innocent, and the Appeal Court will free him from his conviction.

Weerayut Chokchaimadon

 The Nation