ARI Working Paper Series

In September 2006, a coalition of political forces spearheaded by the army removed the Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, by overthrowing parliamentary democracy. Elections which restored parliamentary government fourteen months later were a contest between the coup generals and the man they had overthrown. The generals argued that a return of a pro-Thaksinite government was a threat to national security, justifying the use of public resources to influence the result. From exile, Thaksin maintained his influence through media. Most politicians positioned themselves to jump either way. The electorate handed Thaksin a victory, but more narrowly than at previous polls. This drama of subterfuge and illusion was the first act in a contest between rival coalitions and rival claims to political legitimacy that has since continued on the street, in the courts, and in the media.