By Wikipedia Thailand's prime minister said his critics planted four small bombs in a southern province in an effort to discredit his administration ahead of a…
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The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party, represented as the core coalition member in the six-party coalition government since December 15, 2008. The party upholds a centre-right, strongly constitutional monarchist, royalist, socially conservative, and economically liberal position. Prior to the 2007 general election, party leader and now Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva started embracing many populist policies, which had proved to be popular by the rival Thai Rak Thai party. Its party members such as Somkiat Pongpaibul and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya were also members of the People's Alliance for Democracy. , leading popular movement opposing Thaksin Shinawatra. The party's electoral support bases are mainly constituencies in Bangkok and Southern Thailand. Democrat's candidate also became the winner in the election of Bangkok Metropolitan 's governor in 2009. The Democrat Party was founded on April 6, 1946, as a royalist party in opposition to parties affiliated with Pridi Phanomyong, one of the leaders of 1932 Revolution. Democrat Party founder Khuang Aphaiwong was briefly appointed as the de facto civilian Premier during the military regime of Marshal Plaek Phibulsongkram; nevertheless, the party represented the opposition from 1952 to 1957. The party was dormant during the military regimes of Sarit Dhanarajata and Thanom Kittikachorn (1957-1968). It was the opposition from 1968 to 1971, when Thanom dissolved his own government against communist infiltration. It was the opposition party until Seni Pramoj briefly led an unstable coalition government from the legislative elections of 1975 until the 6 October 1976 massacre. From then on, and during the Prem Tinsulanonda era (1980-1988), the party was the leader of coalition government. Led by Chuan Leekpai, the Party led unstable coalition governments twice in the 1990s, from 1992-1995 and 1997-2001. It was the opposition during the tenure of Thaksin Shinawatra from 2001 to 2006. The Party's current leader is Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The Democrat Party is the only political party in Thailand that is a member of a political international; it is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, an alliance of self-proclaimed liberal-democratic parties from Asia.
