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Published on January 3, 2008

 The People Power Party has tentatively sealed a coalition deal with the Chart Thai and Puea Pandin parties boosting the alliance from 254 to 315 House seats, a party source said yesterday.

On New Year's Day, PPP leader Samak Sundaravej talked to leaders of the two smaller parties who agreed to join a PPP-led government, according to the source.

The source said that although the meeting between the two parties was suspended to mourn the death of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, the meeting was a mere formality.

The next step for the emergence of the new government is the allocation of Cabinet seats between the six coalition partners, he said.

He added that Chart Thai wanted the education and transport portfolios. The coalition parties are expected to negotiate the ministerial appointments later this week, he said.

However, Puea Pandin chief adviser Vatana Asavahame yesterday said his party had not made any official decision to join a PPP-led coalition. He also criticised key Chart Thai figure Sanan Kachornprasart for breaking a deal between their parties by commenting that Chart Thai would join a PPP-led coalition.

Pracharaj Party leader Snoh Thienthong yesterday urged parties concerned to accept the voting outcome that gave the mandate for the People Power Party to form the coalition alliance.

"I know the outcome is deemed unsatisfactory but a surprise can always happen in politics," he said.

The country has seen enough turmoil and no one should try to cause any more problems, he said, arguing the People Power has the legitimacy to lead the coalition alliance.

In light of the period of mourning, the PPP had postponed lodging its opposition to the three red cards disqualifying its winning candidates in Buri Ram to tomorrow, party registrar Saman Wonglertrat said.

In a related development, defeated PPP candidate Surachai Danwatthananusorn has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and asked it to reopen the electoral fraud case involving two winning candidates in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Surachai said the EC had no justification to drop charges against two Democrats, Pimpatra Wichaikul and Surachet Masdit.

He said he had evidence to prove the two were linked to a campaign speech designed to sway votes by tarnishing him with trumped-up charges relating to his past as an ex-Communist. He said the two Democrats were present at the campaign rally to back the remarks made by Pimpatra's father Manote Wichaikul.

 The Nation