Exit Poll shows PPP's fresh victory in Thai by-elections

    BANGKOK, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The People Power Party (PPP) looked set to win most of the 17 parliament seats in by-elections held in six Thai provinces on Sunday, according to an exit poll conducted by ABAC University.

    While official results were to be announced later, the famous ABAC survey indicated the PPP will regain all the 12 seats which were won by the party and later disqualified by the Election Commission (EC). Moreover, the party was likely to gain two or three additional seats.

    After handing out yellow and red cards to winning candidates in the Dec. 23 general election for alleged electoral wrongdoing, the EC organized by-elections for Sunday in the provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Sakon Nakhon, Udon Thani, Lampang, Phrae and Nakhon Nayok.

    A total of 16 winning candidates in the six provinces received yellow cards, which allowed them to re-contest in the by-elections. Twelve of them were from PPP, two from the Democrat Party and two from the Puea Pandin Party. Another PPP contender was given a red card, which disqualified him from re-running in the contest.

    The Sunday by-elections were organized just one day after the PPP announced its intention to join five other smaller parties in forming a coalition government to succeed the military-appointed administration of prime minister Surayud Chulanont.

    Their formal agreement leaves the Democrats -- which came second in the Dec. 23 general election -- to sit alone on the opposition bench in parliament, which will open on Monday.