BANGKOK, Dec 8: Thailand’s opposition party on Monday called a special parliament session to prove it has the backing to form a government with its leader at the helm, but the former ruling party refused to back down.

Opposition Democrat Party leaders said they were confident they could form a government and would put forward their leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as prime minister, as the nation reels from months of political paralysis.

The Democrats say they have wooed four smaller parties away from the former ruling People Power Party (PPP), which was aligned with controversial ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The PPP was dissolved by a court last week and prime minister Somchai Wongsawat forced from office, but Thaksin’s allies have regrouped in the Puea Thai (For Thais) party and insist they can still muster the support to govern.

The fierce power struggle comes after the nine-day (from Nov 25 to Dec 3) blockade of Bangkok’s main airport by a royalist anti-government protest group, which brought Thailand to a standstill and badly dented the nation’s image abroad.

“The Democrat Party is confident that it will form the government, even if there are pressures against MPs who support the Democrats to switch their support to Puea Thai,” Abhisit told reporters.

The party’s secretary-general Suthep Tuagsuban said he was confident of the support of nearly two-thirds of the 447 lawmakers in the lower house.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob said he had received a letter requesting an emergency session signed by 242 parliamentarians, but said it could take at least three days to submit it to the king for approval and set up the session.

“The possible period for convening parliament is (December) 12 to 26,” said veteran Democrat MP Akom Angchuan.

Representatives from the small parties have confirmed they have switched sides but last-minute horse trading could see allegiances change something that Puea Thai is banking on to hang on to power.

“It will not be clear until the MPs announce in parliament who they will vote for,” Vittaya Buranasiri, a senior Puea Thai member, said on Thai television.

A pro-Thaksin group, meanwhile, accused Thailand’s powerful army of steering the coalition partners to the Democrats, and said they were still mulling whether to protest outside parliament when it meets to name a new premier.

Army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkunmerd confirmed that the army chief had spoken to politicians, but added: “The army will not intervene in politics.”

The closure of Bangkok’s two airports left up to 350,000 passengers marooned in the kingdom. Analysts warn that the demonstrations could force Thai economic growth down to about two or three percent in 2009.—AFP