The World : Thai Coalition Takes 60%

The four coalition partners in Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda’s caretaker government captured nearly 60% of the seats in a new 357-member Parliament, according to unofficial results in Thailand elections. The outcome appeared to secure Prem’s chances of retaining his post. Vote counts monitored by television stations indicated that the pro-business, rightist Chart Thai (Thai Nation) Party emerged as the biggest party, winning about 88 seats, compared to its 1986 tally of 63. The Democratic Party, the dominant partner in Prem’s outgoing coalition, saw its parliamentary strength reduced by nearly half to about 52 seats.