Abhisit Vejjajiva: Thailand's Kingmaker Against Scams

Former Thai leader Abhisit Vejjajiva expects to play a kingmaker’s role in any coalition that seeks to rule the Southeast Asian nation after next month’s election, pitching an agenda of "clean politics” to tackle systemic corruption and dismantle cyber scam operations. Abhisit’s Democrat Party — Thailand’s oldest political group — is projected to emerge as the fourth-largest in the Feb. 8 vote, making it a formidable player in the formation of any government. No single party is set to win an outright majority in the 500-member House of Representatives, opinion polls show, giving midsize parties like the Democrat a say in who becomes the next prime minister. Abhisit, prime minister during a turbulent period of 2008 to 2011, said in an interview that he’d offer any of the top three parties the difference between a stable government that can revive Thailand’s moribund economy, and the status quo in Thai politics — where two leaders were ousted over charges of ethical violations in little over a year.