by Ling Shuo     

    BANGKOK, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Registration of candidates for Thailand's upcoming parliamentary election under the proportional representation system began in the Thai capital of Bangkok Wednesday as the country gears up for the upcoming general election scheduled for Dec. 23.

    Since dawn Wednesday, candidates from 18 political parties were waiting at Bangkok's Thai-Japanese Stadium for presenting their credentials and registering to contest the campaign, local TV networks' nemo programs showed.

    Thousands of supporters of the 18 political parties also gathered since midnight to cheer their candidates in designated areas.

    Under the proportional representation system, there are eight zones or groups of provinces, with each zone to be represented by 10 members of parliament (MPs). Eighty MPs in the 480-member Parliament will sit in the House under the proportional representation system. Meanwhile, the other 400 will be allocated via direct votes cast in 197 constituencies, each with one to three seats depending on the number of voters.

    Election campaign materials must use the party identifying number. The results of party ballot-list drawing showed that the Puea Pandin Party drew number 1; the Democrat Party number 4; the People Power Party (PPP) number 12; the Pracharaj Party number 9; the Chart Thai Party number 13 and the Matchima Prachatippathai Party number 15.

    MP candidates are required to submit documents concerning their qualifications to the polling agency at the time of registration.

    It is unlikely that any one party will emerge as the frontrunner in this first election since last year's military coupd'etat ousting the elected government of then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the official Thai News Agency said on its Wednesday reports.

    Thaksin's dissolved Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party, which rose to power in 2001 after soundly defeating the Democrat Party -- Thailand's oldest political party, was billed as the champion of the poor for its populist policies ranging from a village fund to a universal health care scheme. However, the party was later dissolved after last year's coup as it was found guilty of breaking election laws.

    The PPP rapidly expanded its potential strength after many former TRT Party members' attended the party in June and July. The party, led by former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej, who has said he is a proxy of Thaksin's TRT party, is favored to win most seats in the North and Northeast, strongholds of Thaksin, said the state run news agency.

    Meanwhile, the anti-Thaksin and pro-coup Democrats, under the helm of Oxford-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, commands loyalty among the majority of voters in the South.

    Therefore, the battle seems to be on between the People Power party (PPP) and the Democrats, several local news groups commented on Wednesday.

    Talking to reporters after the number ballot draw for political parties in the morning, Samak said he was happy with the number 12,and stressed his intention of eliminating those who ousted Thaksin.

    "Our mission in the December election will be to eliminate the powers that ousted Thaksin," Samak said.

    "Up to this very day, the military coup group is still unable to find a reason for the military takeover. They accused the former government of several crimes but for over a year, they have been unable to prove their claims," said Samak.

    "The people will be able to decide for themselves next month whether the coup was justified," said the political veteran.

    Moreover, Samak warned the constituency that "you can elect the Democrats ... if you want another military coup."