Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held earlier this month. That win followed a completion of a full term in office, a historic accomplishment in its own right. Yet victory has not ended Mr. Thaksin's worries. Violence in the country's southern provinces is escalating, and there is little indication that the prime minister has a strategy to get it under control. This growing unrest could overshadow Mr. Thaksin's impressive political accomplishments to date.
Mr. Thaksin rode a tide of populist sentiment to victory four years ago. His Thai Rak Thai party capitalized on his image as a successful businessman -- as well as on promises of free health care and substantial aid to rural constituencies -- to convince Thai voters that they could share his good fortune if they voted him into office. They obliged, and Mr. Thaksin's policies yielded strong growth, despite misgivings from many analysts and observers. As a result, Mr. Thaksin is the first Thai prime minister in the post-coup era to serve his full term.
Mr. Thaksin used that record to push for another mandate in this month's elections. He wanted a parliamentary majority that would allow him and his party to rule without being forced to form a coalition government, as in his first term. Again, Thai voters obliged, giving his party 376 of 500 seats in the new Parliament. With that level of control, Mr. Thaksin can rule virtually without fear of censure.