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The long wait in front of Parliament throughout Sunday night until yesterday evening sapped the strength of the red-shirted crowd, reducing them from 20,000 to less than 1,000. It was clear that the organizers were ill-prepared for a prolonged rally. Resources were scarce. The protesters are running on a shoestring budget, their machinery not well oiled. It was an acute embarrassment for the leaders and their paymasters.

Abhisit and his Cabinet were supposed to present government policy for the opposition to vent their frustration. At first, opposition leaders, already half-hearted through poor teamwork, vowed that they would make the Democrats sweat. But things did not go according to plan.

The opposition had to wait, not knowing when the Democrats would let them point fingers and shout harsh words. The Democrats instead dictated the game while enjoying the comfort of their headquarters, watching how their red-shirted adversaries got angry and hungry.

The protest leaders simply could not get their act together. They obviously wanted to prevent the Democrat ministers entering the House, while seeking to dig up dirt to force Abhisit and his team to resign if they cannot stand the exposure and public pressure. By late evening they had nothing.

The protesters were haggard after missing their sleep. The tirades and harangues of fiery orators kept them awake but could not quell hunger and thirst, not to mention the inconveniences of chilly weather and lack of rest. The rally yesterday was not well supplied with food and basic amenities as in the case of the People's Alliance for Democracy's 193-day rally. Poor planning and lack of strategy raised questions among the paymasters whether the money had been spent in a worthwhile manner.

Determination was not evident. There is doubt whether some of them will turn up this morning when the Democrats request a House session. But they say they have all the time in the world and can wait until after the New Year celebrations.

The cat-and-mouse chase yesterday was truly irksome for the opposition, whose MPs also joined the anti-government rally. But those well-heeled ones were nowhere near the gathering. They were wise enough. Being seen meant there would be a strong chance they'd have to part with hard cash to silence growling stomachs.

What would have happened if the Democrats were allowed to pass the blockade and present their policies? Abhisit does not need charm and eloquence to impress or disarm his foes. The opposition's bite was not as harmful as its loud bark; disappointment and embarrassment will be their price to pay.

The opposition must explain why Abhisit and his team should not take charge of the government when they have a majority in the House. What's more, the opposition MPs are remnants and leftovers of parties dissolved twice by the Constitution Court.

Both sides cannot claim legitimacy and a public mandate over the other. Fair play was never the rule in this game of gutter politics. More daunting for the opposition MPs during the debate is that they must be truly objective, with substantiated facts, to cause enough trouble for the Democrats.

Credibility and image problems have plagued the opposition cronies of Thaksin Shinawatra, whose predicament in exile has become somewhat pathetic to his admirers, especially due to the sharp decline in his wealth.

From over $US5 billion dollars that Thaksin was perceived to have, he is reduced to a mere $500 million following freezes of his assets and investment failures. With only that much left, compared to his vast wealth in the past, Thaksin is virtually a pauper by the standards for billionaires.

The longer the Democrats are in power, the more strength they can muster, making it extremely difficult for Thaksin and his cronies to regain power and his sagging wealth. The fugitive is losing his grip and the chance of his passport being cancelled is a real threat. He could be arrested and sent to start his jail term.

That's why Thaksin's cronies must step up their protest and force Abhisit out by whatever means possible. The rally was ill-timed, coinciding as it did with the festive season; thus hard cash must be disbursed to keep the red-shirted protesters happy.

The Democrats won the first round, when they broke the will of the opposition. The game is not yet over. The second round will be played out today and will drag on over New Year's day. By that time, who really cares.