Thailand's Election Commission (EC) will keep an eye on the general election campaign to be organized by People Power Party (PPP) on Friday night at Bangkok's Sanam Luang (Royal Square) since the ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra is scheduled to speak to his supporters at the event through a video conference.
Election commissioner Sumeth Upanisakorn said the EC will have to consider if this action breaks any election law, adding that the EC will have to wait for complaints to be filed before it can look into the matter.
Meanwhile, secretary-general of Democrat party Suthep Thaugsuban said Thaksin's speech should not have any positive impact on the popularity of the PPP during the general election set on Dec. 23.
He also called on election commissioners to consider carefully whether Thaksin should be allowed to give a speech because he is among 111 Thai Rak Thai party executives who are banned from politics for five years.
Thaksin, the former premier who was ousted from the Government House during a military coup last September, is now living in London. He is facing several criminal charges and is banned from politics for five year.
Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party, which rose to power in 2001 after soundly defeating the Democrat Party, was later dissolved after last year's coup since it was found guilty of breaking election laws.
The PPP rapidly expanded its potential strength after many former Thai Rak Thai members' attended the party in June and July. The party, led by former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej, who has said he is a proxy of Thaksin's TRT party, is favored to win most seats in the North and Northeast, strongholds of Thaksin.
Source: Xinhua
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