THAILAND

LAST ELECTIONS

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

Chamber:

Saphaphuthan Ratsadon

Dates of election / renewal (from/to):

23 December 2007

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all the seats in the House of Representatives.

Background and outcome of elections:

The December 2007 elections were the first to be held following a military takeover in September 2006 which ousted the then Prime Minister, Shinawatra Thaksin. His Thai Love Thai (Thai Rak Thai, TRT) party had won 377 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives in the February 2005 elections. However, his second term as prime minister lasted only one year.

Following political allegations against his premiership, Mr. Thaksin dissolved the House of Representatives on 24 February 2006 and called early elections for 2 April. The elections were boycotted by the major opposition parties and invalidated by the Constitutional Tribunal on 8 May. New elections were subsequently scheduled for October 2006. As a result of the September takeover, these elections could not take place and the King appointed an interim legislative body, the National Legislative Assembly on 12 October 2006.

The adoption of a new Constitution on 19 August 2007 opened the way to a return to democracy. At stake in the 2007 elections were the 480 seats in the new House of Representatives.

The TRT had been dissolved by the Constitutional Tribunal in May 2006, and exiled former prime minister Thaksin was barred from running in the 2007 elections, along with 111 former TRT executives. Mr. Thaksin's supporters formed the People's Power Party (PPP) prior to the elections, whose candidates included children of barred former TRT members. The PPP leader Mr. Samak Sundaravej pledged to allow Mr. Thaksin's return to the country so he could "prove his innocence". The PPP promised to give priority to economic recovery.

The Democratic Party (DP, which took 96 seats in the 2005 elections), was led by Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva. It pledged to fight corruption and improve the country's economic situation within 99 days. Its leader said his party would not join a PPP-led government. Other contenders included the Chartthai Party (meaning "Thai Nation" - CPT), led by Mr. Banharn Silpa-Archa and the Puea Pandin Party (meaning "For the Motherland" - PP) of Mr. Suwit Khunkitti. Former members of the TRT also contested the elections in other small parties.

Most political parties promised to tackle corruption, provide better health care, education and infrastructure, and at the same time improve the economy. Local analysts predicted none of the main parties would win an outright majority, and that the PPP would become the largest party.

On 23 December, 74.45 per cent of the 44 million registered voters turned out at the poll.

The PPP fared well in rural areas in the northern part of the country where the TRT had its stronghold, while the DP led in the capital Bangkok and in southern Thailand.

Preliminary results gave the PPP 233 seats and the DP 165 seats, although the results for several seats were invalidated following allegations of vote-buying.

Following the elections 5 parties, namely - the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party, the Matchimathipataya Party and the Pracharaj Party, the CTP and the PP - agreed to participate in a PPP-led government. On 19 January 2008, the PPP leader, Mr. Sundaravej, officially announced a six-party coalition controlling 315 of the 480 seats, leaving the Democrat Party the sole opposition in the new House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives held its first session on 21 January. On the following day, it elected the PPP deputy leader, Mr. Yongyuth Tiyapairat, as its new Speaker.

On 28 January, the House of Representatives elected the PPP leader, Samak Sundaravej, as the new Prime Minister.

STATISTICS


Round no 1 (23 December 2007): Election results
Number of registered electors		44'002'593
Voters		32'759'009 (74.45%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes



Round no 1: Distribution of votes

Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%
People Power Party (PPP)
Democratic Party (DP)
Chartthai Party (CTP)
Puea Pandin Party (PP)
Matchimathipataya Party (MCM)
Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party (RC)
Pracharaj Party (PRP)


Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group	Total	Constituencies	PR
People Power Party (PPP)	233	199	34
Democratic Party (DP)	164	131	33
Chartthai Party (CTP)	34	30	4
Puea Pandin Party (PP)	24	17	7
Matchimathipataya Party (MCM)	11	11	0
Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party (RC)	9	8	1
Pracharaj Party (PRP)	5	4	1

Comments:

Sources:
- http://www.ect.go.th/english/index.html
- IPU Group (24.01.2008, 07.03.2008)

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men:

424

Women:

Percent of women:

11.67

Distribution of seats according to age:


21 to 30 years	16
31 to 40 years	63
41 to 50 years	185
51 to 60 years	140
61 to 70 years	59
Over 70 years	17

Distribution of seats according to profession:

Politicians		190
Business/trade/industry employees, including executives		126
Civil/public servants/administrators (including social/development workers)		50
Legal professions		24
Unknown		19
Farmers/agricultural workers (including wine growers)		15
Others		14
Salaried employees		14
Medical professions (doctors, dentists, nurses)		10
Educators		7
Self-employed		6
Consultants (including real estate agents)		5

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

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