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The road ahead looks rosy for Abhisit Vejjajiva to lead the Democrat Party into the next general election and become the next prime minister of Thailand.

This follows yesterday's landmark ruling of the Constitution Tribunal, which cleared the Democrat Party of all charges of election fraud in a unanimous decision, according to a source.

The Democrats' survival will pave the way for Abhisit, 43, to contest the next election virtually unopposed.

"The Democrat Party has earned a two-step gain. First, it has escaped dissolution. Second, it won't face Thai Rak Thai as a rival in the election," said Dr Sombat Thamrong-thanyawong, a well-known academic from the National Institute of Development Administration.

The remark came before the verdict was announced in the case against Thai Rak Thai. The tribunal's reading out of the verdict was not completed when this edition went to press last night.

Political observers believe that even if Thai Rak Thai escaped dissolution, it will not be as strong as before because many key figures have abandoned the party to form their own groups to fight the next election, namely Matchima and Thammathippatai.

With the tribunal's rulings, the Thai political landscape has changed dramatically. There will be only a few major political parties left - the Democrats, Chat Thai and Mahachon - while Thai Rak Thai became weakened even before yesterday's rulings.

The next election is likely to be held before the end of this year or early next year at the latest.

If the Democrats win the next election Abhisit, at 43, would become the youngest Thai prime minister in the post-war period. Tony Blair was British prime minister when he was 38. John F Kennedy was president of the US when he was 42.

A jubilant Abhisit yesterday described his party's acquittal by the Constitution Tribunal as a "victory for Thailand and all the Thai people".

He also looked ahead to the next general election.

"Today it's an end to the bad problems of the past that caused tension in society. Tomorrow, our great mission is to guide the country back to the democratic path by advancing towards the election in December under a constitution that is just," Abhisit said before a huge crowd of supporters at the party headquarters.

He said the election "will help ease the economic problems and unrest and will serve as an exit for the country".

The Democrat leader also called on the government and the Council for National Security to ease the rules that limit activities relating to political parties.

"[The Democrats'] obligation is to lead the country forward. I'd like to ask the powers that be to allow political parties to work creatively for the benefit of the country," he said.

"Our victory in this case is a victory for Thailand and all the Thai people," Abhisit concluded, to the cheers of party supporters.

In his speech, Abhisit also thanked senior party members who worked alongside him with the defence team, including his mentor and predecessor Chuan Leekpai.

Shortly after 6pm, Abhisit and other senior party members returned to the party headquarters and were greeted by loud applause from supporters, who offered them roses. The Democrat executives later paid homage to the statue of Mother Earth, the party's symbol.

Earlier, while the tribunal was reading out its verdict in the case against the party, Abhisit and other party heavyweights - Chuan, Banyat and secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban - had appeared calm and relaxed throughout the lengthy session.

Thaworn Senneam, a Democrat deputy secretary-general, said yesterday that a party meeting would be held next Wednesday to prepare for the next election.

Party spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said the party would first push for the curbs on political activities to be lifted.

Abhisit will face the major task of taking Thailand back to the path of democracy and healing the wounds of the country, which was bitterly polarised by the reign of Thaksin Shinawatra. The situation is reminiscent of the expected coming to power of Chuan Leekpai as prime minister in the aftermath of the May 1992 tragedy.

Chuan, then the Democrat leader, was sworn in as prime minister with the task of leading the country back to a stable path.

A Democrat rise to power is likely to provide a graceful exit for the military government.

Thaksin, ousted from office in the September 19 coup, followed the rulings of the Constitution Tribunal from London. All members of his immediate family are reported to have left Thailand to join him there.