Contenders neck and neck prior to Thai poll
Contenders neck and neck prior to Thai poll
BANGKOK (Reuter): The two leading contenders for Thailand's top political job are neck-and-neck ahead of the Nov. 17 general election, opinion polls showed yesterday, as the candidates geared up for one last crucial debate.
Public opinion polls yesterday showed Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the leader of News Aspiration Party (NAP), and former premier and Democrat Party chief Chuan Leekpai in a close race for Sunday's election.
The two are due to meet in a nationally-televised debate today, which organizers say could be a key to victory.
The 80-minute debate adopts the "town hall" format used in the United States and Chavalit and Chuan will be asked questions from the floor, moderator Chermsak Phinthong told reporters.
This debate, the last of a series of encounters between the candidates, is seen as the crucial one since opinion polls show voters want a leader who appears to be honest and has a sharp wit. A total of 26 percent of Thailand's urban voters say they are still undecided on what candidate or party to choose.
A private survey conducted by the Ministry of the Interior, traditionally seen as an accurate representation of actual poll results, shows the NAP and Democrat party emerging from the poll with 127 seats each in the 393-seat lower House.
A total of 2,310 candidates from 13 parties are vying for the seats in the upcoming poll.
"So the debate is set to be a very crucial opportunity for both parties to woo undecided voters," Chermsak said.
A joint poll made by Matichon newspaper, INN news agency and Channel Three Television published yesterday said the Democrats should win 139 seats and the NAP will come in second with 119.
A poll in the Nation newspaper projects the NAP to win with 124 seats and the Democrats to take 122.
A single party has never won a majority but traditionally the party with the most seats ends up forming a coalition.
Caretaker prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa, who ended the 14-month rule of his coalition government when he dissolved the house on Sept. 27 and called fresh elections, was not invited to join the debate because he lags in polls.
Former prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan, leader of the Chart Pattana Party, was also omitted from the debate because he is not seen as a front-runner.
Several countries, including the United States and Cambodia, have asked to observe the election, officials said.
"They do not intend to look at vote-buying or the killing of canvassers, but at our precise election process," Deputy Interior Minister Arsa Meksawan said on Monday.
The election has been deemed the "most violent in years" by a private poll research agency due to blatant vote-buying by political parties, political assassinations and other electoral law violations.
At least 17 people have been attacked and seven of them shot dead by unidentified gunmen since the campaign began, police said.
Politicians will likely spend 20 billion baht (US$800 million) during the campaign, and a large percentage of this is earmarked for vote buying, Thai Farmers Bank Research said recently.