Thai opposition party 'can form coalition govt'

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BANGKOK, Dec 7 (agencies):The main opposition party in Thailand says it has enough support to form a government and end the political crisis that has gripped the country.
The Democrat Party claims it has the backing of more than half of the 400 lawmakers in the lower house.
It follows protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy, against rule by allies of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.
Blockades of Bangkok airports were ended on Wednesday after a court ruling that deposed the prime minister.
On Saturday Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary general of the Democrat Party, said it could form a coalition with the support of five small parties in the ruling coalition.
"Everyone here is fully convinced about the political situation of the country. Therefore we decide together to form a coalition government to solve the crisis of the country," he told a late night news conference.
The BBC's Jonathan Head, in Bangkok, says the Democrats must have persuaded some MPs to defect from the governing People Power Party (PPP), which was dissolved this week by a court over election fraud. On Friday, Thaksin's ex-wife returned to Thailand for personal reasons.
A spokesman for Pojaman Shinawatra said she was visiting her ailing mother and her return to Thailand had nothing to do with politics.
Her arrival prompted speculation in the Thai media that her return was linked to attempts to form a new government.
Meanwhile: The party containing allies of ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra claimed on Sunday to have enough support to form a coalition government to succeed the administration sacked last week by the courts.
Puea Thai, the replacement for the now banned People Power Party (PPP) -- itself a replacement for Thaksin's banned Thai Rak Thai party -- countered claims by the opposition Democrat party they had picked up enough defectors to lead a coalition.
"Now we've got more than 222 votes, which exceeds the half of votes needed to form a government," deputy Puea Thai leader Kanawat Wasinsungworn said. "Our former coalition partners will join us. We now have enough votes."
However, in a sign of more twists in store in interminable political strife that saw anti-Thaksin, royalist protesters take over Bangkok's main airport last week, Democrat spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks said his party and its new allies had secured 260 votes in parliament which has a normal strength of 480.
Normally, Thailand's parliament has 480 seats but that number has been thrown into confusion by last week's court ruling against PPP, which saw dozens of MPs from PPP and two other parties barred from politics for five years.
It is unclear when by-elections will be held to fill the empty seats, or whether there might have to be another general election -- the fourth in as many years.
Immediately after Tuesday's court ruling, the interim PPP cabinet said the vote should happen on December 8 and 9, although King Bhumibol Adulyadej did not grant his approval for the special session.
The influential 81-year-old monarch has since been taken ill, missing his traditional birthday eve address to the nation on Thursday. The palace said on Saturday his condition had improved.