Realistic risk of political tension and threat of civil unrest will again increase, depending on who is elected as prime minister

The Thai Parliament will open a special session on 15 December 2008 to elect a new prime minister. Both the opposition Democrat Party and the Puea Thai Party -- made of elements of the now dissolved People Power Party (PPP) -- claim that they have enough votes in the legislature to elect the next prime minister and form the next government. Puea Thai Party officials, however, have called for a national government that would unite all parties and have stated that they will not nominate a party member for the premiership.