Mahachon lowers target to 50 House seats; Sanan still upbeat

Published on February 3, 2005

The Mahachon Party, which has portrayed itself as a new alternative, now expects to win only 50 House seats, much below than 70-seat romp earlier boasted by leading party members.

A high-ranking Mahachon member, who asked not to be named, said the new party had become more realistic and believes that capturing 45 seats from constituencies and five from proportional voting would be the best the party could do.

But party adviser Sanan Kachornprasart still insists on at least 70 House seats going Mahachon’s way.

Leading party members figure that the Chat Thai Party will also end up with 50 House seats.

The leading Mahachon members see their party grabbing 10 seats in the North, 25 in the Northeast, five in the South and five from the rest of the country.

The party also expects to receive nearly two million votes, giving it five party-list MPs.

Mahachon estimates that the Democrat Party will collect some 120 House seats, leaving only 280 seats for the Thai Rak Thai, which as a result will have to find a partner to ensure a politically stable coalition government.

Sanan said the balloting outcome depended on election eve, which falls on a Saturday and is often called “howling night”, when a major party might send out its members in full stream to buy votes.

“That night, police may block all villages to allow only those from only one party to come out.”

Sanan was speaking to reporters after leading Mahachon candidates on a whistle-stop campaign cruise up the Chao Phya River from Nonthaburi to Klong San. The party travelled on five boats and called at major spots, including Thammasat University.

At one point, the engine of a boat carrying reporters and some candidates broke down in the middle of the river, forcing the passengers to switch to another vessel.

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