Bangkok - The Democrat party on Monday asked for an extraordinary session of Parliament this week to vote on the nomination of a new prime minister, expected to be their leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaungsuban submitted the request to House Speaker Chai Chidchob, who will need a royal endorsement from Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is head of state, before reconvening parliament to set up a new coalition government.

The Democrat party, which has been in the opposition since 2001, claims to have secured enough support from the "Friends of Newin" breakaway faction from the Puea Thai and its former allies the Chart Thai, Matchiamathipataya, Puea Paendin and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana parties to form a new coalition government.

The new alliance provides a Democrat-led government about 260 seats in the 447-seat Lower House of Parliament, with the Democrats holding 165 seats. The Puea Thai party, a reincarnation of the now defunct People Power Party, claims to have at least 220 seats.

If the Democrats' alliance does not fall apart before the reconvening of Parliament some time this week, Democrat leader Aphisit is likely to become Thailand's next prime minister.

Abhisit, 44, would become Thailand's youngest prime minister if the Democrat bid succeeds. The Democrat party is Thailand's oldest surviving party at 62 years.

Well-known former Democrats include Surin Pitsuwan, the current secretary-general of the secretariat of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Suphachai Panichpakdi, a former head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and current head of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD).

A Democrat-led coalition could take Thailand a step towards political normalcy after six months of street protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that culminated in the seizure of Bangkok's two airports that shut the capital off from commercial flights for a week, crippling the economy.

The Democrats will face a daunting task restoring international confidence in Thailand and repairing the economy, observers said.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport officially reopened Friday, after being shut down on November 26 by thousands of anti-government protestors.

The PAD, which has received moral support from the Democrats and members of Thailand's political elite, is a movement dedicated to blocking the return of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to power, and ending his behind-the-scenes control over his political allies.

The protestors lifted their siege of Suvarnabhumi on Wednesday after former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law, was forced to step down by a court ruling that their People Power Party (PPP) committed fraud in the December 23, 2007 polls. The ruling banned Somchai and half the former cabinet from politics for five years.

Two other former coalition partners of the PPP, Chart Thai and Matchiamathipataya, were also dissolved by the court ruling.

Elected members of parliament from the three dissolved parties have shifted to other newly established parties with the majority of the PPP moving to Puea Thai.

But a PPP faction loyal to Newin Chidchob, whose father Chai is the current House speaker, reportedly shifted alliance to the Democrats after seeking advice from the politically powerful Army Commander-in-Chief General Anupong Paochinda.

Thailand is currently under a caretaker government headed by acting Prime Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul, another Newin ally.

The political development was seen as a blow for Thaksin, the prime mover behind the last government.

Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in September 2006, and was found guilty of abuse of power in an October 21 court ruling for allowing his wife to successfully bid on a plot of prime Bangkok land at a government auction during his premiership in 2003.

The Supreme Court for Political Office Holders sentenced Thaksin to two years in jail.

Thaksin criticized the verdict as being politically motivated and recently vowed to return to politics, despite his fugitive status. (dpa)