Thai Vote Ends, Exit Poll Sees Thaksin Landslide

Reuters News Article

Thai Vote Ends, Exit Poll Sees Thaksin Landslide
Sun Feb 6, 2005 11:14 AM ET

By Trirat Puttajanyawong and Ed Cropley
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Telecoms tycoon-turned-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was romping to another four-year term on Sunday in what an exit poll predicted would be a historic second successive general election landslide.
The poll, conducted jointly by six television channels and a Bangkok university, said Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party would win 399 of 500 seats in parliament.
If borne out by the official tally, it would be the first time in Thailand's coup-prone history that an elected leader has won a second term.
"It's not really a big surprise," Thaksin, the first elected Thai leader to complete one term, told reporters at his party headquarters after a lackluster campaign some analysts said was largely a referendum on his CEO-style of leadership.
"We don't know until the final results come in, but we thank the Thai people for giving their trust and confidence in us and we'll try our best."
Among those voting were survivors of December's devastating tsunami, which killed more than 5,000 Thais.
The main opposition Democrat Party conceded defeat to Thaksin, one of Thailand's richest men who swept to power in 2001 on a platform of free health care and rural handouts.
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