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Published on January 1, 2008

"Today they (the four parties) have 251 seats and the EC is still considering red and yellow cards [to disqualify or suspend some winners]. We don't know how many seats will remain theirs on the day MPs vote for a prime minister in Parliament."

He said the Democrats would decide on a course of action if the four other parties ended up with not enough seats to form a government. If 10-20 of the four parties' winning candidates were disqualified, they might not have enough seats to form a coalition.

Suthep said he had not talked to party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is on vacation, as there was nothing to discuss at the moment.

"We won't call this a loss or that we have to accept being the opposition," he said, adding that the Democrats could still form either the government or the opposition.

He said the PPP's announcement was a move to rush the Chart Thai and Puea Pandin parties into joining the PPP.

Suthep said he would also wait for Chart Thai leader Banharn Silapa-archa's official announcement on whether to join a PPP-led government.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

 The Nation