Abhisit, Dems top picks in Songkhla

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva is the most popular choice for prime minister among voters in Songkhla, with the Democrats also leading the polls for both the constituency and party-list contest, says a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) poll.

- POST REPORTERS

The survey, held between Dec 20 and 25 among 1,067 voters in Songkhla province, found 40.67% of respondents would support Mr Abhisit as prime minister, while 24.18% of respondents said they were still undecided.

Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) leader Anutin Charnvirakul came in third with 12.56%, followed closely by People's Party (PP) leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut at 11.43%.

The Democrats also led the polls for party-list and constituency contest, with 45.45% support in the party-list system and 44.42% of support in the constituency race.

For the party-list vote, 19.49% respondents said they were still undecided, while the PP came third with 15.09%.

Bhumjaithai and the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) trailed far behind, each receiving 2.16% support.

As for the constituency contest, 23.81% of respondents said they were undecided.

About 14% favoured the PP while 10.87% backed the BJT. The Pheu Thai Party and UTN received 1.87% and 1.22% respectively.

Mr Abhisit yesterday urged voters to choose what is best for the country rather than being swayed by various political camps, saying short-term satisfaction from divisive campaigning won't bring long-term benefits.

Asked about the use of nationalism and Thai-Cambodian tensions as campaign tools, the Democrat leader said the public was pleased with the military's actions and the government's support for military actions.

However, he said the government faced a more difficult task on the diplomatic front to ensure the sacrifices made to date are not wasted and that the situation does not cause instability.

He called on all parties to support the government on foreign affairs and national security issues, stressing that such matters should not be exploited for political competition.

Mr Abhisit thanked residents of Songkhla for their support, saying the Democrats would present policies to persuade undecided voters.