By Xinhua
Bangkok : The People Power Party (PPP) which won Thailand’s post-coup general elections announced Monday it will form a coalition government in the country.
Party leader Samak Sundaravej announced at a press conference here that three other parties – the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana (Thais United National Development) Party, Matchima Thipataya (Neutral Democratic) Party, and Pracharaj (Royal People) Party – have agreed to join the PPP led-coalition government.
The Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party has won nine seats in the in the Dec 23 general elections, while the Matchima Thipataya Party and Pracharaj Party have secured seven and five seats respectively.
All together the coalition will hold 254 seats in the 480-member House of Representatives, Samak said.
The People Power Party, seen in Thailand as a nominee party for the ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 233 seats in the parliamentary polls, the first after the military coup of September 2006 that ousted former elected government led by Thaksin.
Samak also said that two other parties – the Chart Thai party and Puea Pandin Party – which have already formed an alliance, are also expected to join the PPP-led coalition.
The two parties will Wednesday announce their decision to join the coalition, Samak said.
The PPP’s major rival, the Democrat Party, which won 165 seats in the election, has declined to join a PPP-led coalition government. The Democrat Party will sit in parliament as the oppositon.