Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra emerged Monday the winner of Thailand's elections with a powerful mandate allowing him to form a one-party government, avoid parliamentary censure and amend the country's reformist constitution. With more than 60 percent of the votes counted, the Election Commission projected Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party had captured 364 of the 500 parliamentary seats, while the rival Democrat party managed 92. Vote counting was to end later Monday, but official results were not expected until later in the week. "The numbers are more than enough to establish a one-party government," Thaksin declared Sunday after it became clear that he had won an unprecedented second term. On Monday he said he hoped to form the new government by early March.
