Allies of deposed Prime Minister ThaksinShinawatra declared victory in Thailand’s first post-coup election Sunday, but failed to secure an absolute majority in the parliament according to unofficial results from the Election Commission.

A win by the pro-Thaksin People’s Power Party would likely deepen the country’s two-year-old political crisis.

With 95 percent of the vote counted, the PPP had won 228 seats in the parliament’s 480-seat lower house, the Election Commission announced. The rival Democrat Party won 166 seats, it said. A complete tally was not expected until Monday.

“It is clear that compared to other political parties, the PPP has won the highest number of votes,” PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said at a news conference. He said Thaksin, who was in Hong Kong, had telephoned after hearing the results.

“Thaksin said congratulations,” Samak said, inviting “any political parties” to join the PPP to form a coalition government.

Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, but retains widespread popularity among Thailand’s rural majority

Source : thejakartapost.com