This Bomb must not distract us from trying

People will talk about how the outcome of the Bangkok Constituency 6 by-election will impact Thai politics, how it will benefit or negatively affect the two main rival parties. And the bomb explosion at the Big C Department Store's Rajdamri branch early yesterday evening will provide more talking points. Thais, however, have no luxury to be distracted. The real significance of yesterday is the fact that Thailand was attempting to return to peaceful democracy by holding the first democratic parliamentary election since the political turbulence in April and May. And we have no choice but to remain firmly on our course.

It was not a normal by-election from the beginning. One candidate could not campaign on the streets because he was a terrorist suspect who has had to stay behind bars. He has had to compete against a government candidate and naturally the fight was taken as a test of how the Bangkok public view what happened politically over the past few months. It was a bitter, emotionally charged campaign that seemed to reflect all the negativity about Thai politics.

But we had to start somewhere. What we needed to do was to rediscover the ability to perform the simplest democratic tasks. The Constituency 6 parliamentary vacancy gave us the opportunity to take that small first step after our fall to  rock bottom. It has not been a perfect new start - far from it - but even yesterday's Big C bomb must not send us off the track.

Of course, the relatively peaceful prelude to the poll does not represent a national tendency. The by-election involves Bangkok, where the red shirts have been pretty much contained and where the state of emergency remains in effect. What would it be like if this was an election in, say, Khon Kaen or Chiang Mai? Could Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva have been able to help his candidate campaign if this was an Udon Thani by-election? Or could the Pheu Thai Party have been able to set up stages if this was held in Surat Thani?

Yet we can only judge things when they happen in front of us. And from what we have seen regarding Bangkok's Constituency 6, we should be encouraged to take the next steps regardless of any act of cowardice intended to make us think otherwise. To go ahead requires contribution and sacrifice from both sides. The government must open its heart toward the growing calls for an end to the state of emergency where it's possible to lift it, while the red shirts must make sure not to try to take advantage of the absence of the strict measures and defy law and order.

Rumours have been persistent about a new wave of violence, and yesterday's incident will surely amplify them. The government's task is to overcome the fears and do everything possible to make sure a free and fair election can take place as soon as possible. For the red shirts and the Pheu Thai Party, it must have become very obvious to them that for an election to come early as they want, they will have to help build a conducive atmosphere.

We can only see it two ways. Either the Bangkok by-election - in which one candidate could only appear on front pages in prison uniform - is evidence of hopelessness, a clear sign that we haven't gone anywhere - or it provides a glimmer of hope. Some countries have seen worse, despite what some people are trying to say. Those countries have seen political prisoners fade into oblivion and their supporters pass on messages in the most secretive manner and nobody else ever seems to care.

Despite the unprecedented violence and divide, there are some things very "Thai" remaining about this crisis. We have no choice amid this prevailing desperation but try to see hope. If negative national characteristics have brought us here, maybe we must counter by employing the positive, unique ones to get ourselves out of it. Whether the by-election is a good effort or not, the only way to go is to keep on trying.