Violence feared after key Thai elections
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BANGKOK — The divisions that plague Thai society will deepen further after Sunday’s election unless arch-enemies within the political realm agree to respect the verdict of the polls, analysts say.
Ahead of the July 3 vote which is crucial to the future of the Southeast Asian nation, few observers expect the winner will be able to quietly take power for a four-year term and face opposition merely from within parliament.
The election is largely a battle between the establishment-backed, ruling Democrats led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and the opposition Puea Thai, spearheaded from exile by former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Five years on from a military coup that deposed Thaksin and triggered years of bloody political crisis, the billionaire remains a figure who crystallizes debate in Thailand, where he is still both widely adored and hated.
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Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110630com3.html
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