BANGKOK -- Samak Sundaravej, leader of the People Power Party (PPP), which won Thailand's post-coup general election, officially announced Monday that three other parties have agreed to join a PPP-led coalition government, which will together garner 254 out of the 480 seats in the House of Representatives.
At a press conference Monday afternoon at a Bangkok hotel, with the presence of high-ranking officials of the other three parties, Samak said that the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana (Thais United National Development) Party, winning nine seats, Matchima Thipataya (Neutral Democratic) Party with seven seats and Pracharaj (Royal People) Party with five seats, have agreed to join the PPP to form a coalition government.
The PPP, seen in Thailand as a nominee party for the ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 233 parliament seats in the December 23 general election, the first one after Thailand experienced a military coup that ousted former elected government led by Thaksin in September 2006.
