Q&A: Thai election

Thailand has held its first election since the military seized power. Unofficial results show the People Power Party (PPP), allied to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, has won most seats but not an outright majority. Coalition negotiations are under way.

How important were the polls?

These are the first polls since Thaksin was ousted in a coup

The polls were seen as key to setting the nation back on the path to democratic rule.

Thailand has been run by an interim government since September 2006, when military leaders ousted democratically-elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup.

Thais had hoped these elections would bring an end to the political instability that plagued the country before the coup.

But the People Power Party's victory is likely to cause fresh tensions, putting the party on a collision course with the military.

The military has made no secret of its dislike of Mr Thaksin, and the PPP is seen as a re-incarnation of Mr Thaksin's party, Thai Rak Thai.

The election was also an important indication of the popularity of the coup - and its result showed that many Thais did not agree with the ousting of Mr Thaksin.

What will happen next?

Unofficial results show the PPP has won 232 of the 480 available seats - a comfortable victory but not enough for it to govern outright.

Party leader Samak Sundaravej is now hoping other parties will join him in a coalition.

The PPP's main rival, the Democrat Party, has already said it would rather form the opposition, but the third and fourth parties - Chart Thai (Thai Nation) and Peau Pandin (Motherland) - have yet to publicly decide.

The Democrats, led by Abhisit Vejjajiva, are PPP's main rivals

Their allegiance is crucial. Theoretically, if all the smaller parties allied with the Democrats, they could block the PPP from office.

The PPP has already announced that it has found parties willing to join it to form a government, but has not said which parties these are.

This has prompted speculation that the jockeying for position is still continuing behind the scenes.

The uncertainty could well carry on until early January, when the election commission will announce the official results - after ballots are re-counted and any complaints investigated - giving the final seat allocation in parliament.

What if the PPP takes office?

There is concern over how the military will react to a PPP government - especially if it keeps its word and brings Mr Thaksin back into the country.

While some analysts warn of another coup, others say there is little public appetite for a repeat of the events of September 2006.

What is more likely, say analysts, is that post-election challenges and complaints could delay the formation of a PPP-led government.

But there is a limit to these delays. Under the terms of the constitution, parliament must meet within 30 days from the election. The government then has a month to elect a prime minister.

Why did Mr Thaksin not stand himself?

As a result of a Constitutional Court decision earlier this year, Mr Thaksin is barred from politics for five years.

He also faces arrest on corruption charges if he returns to the country, and he has been living in exile since the coup.

Thaksin bought Manchester City earlier this year

He has spent most of his time in the UK, and earlier this year he bought Manchester City football club.

As well as barring Mr Thaksin from politics, the courts also dissolved his party, Thai Rak Thai, for violating electoral laws.

But Thai Rak Thai has essentially resurfaced as the PPP, which is largely made up of former Thai Rak Thai MPs.

The PPP owes its success to public support for Mr Thaksin, particularly in poor rural areas which benefited from his populist policies.

So while Mr Thaksin was not even in the country during the poll, he was undoubtedly the central figure in this election.

What were the main campaign issues?

Most parties learned from Mr Thaksin's success and courted poorer voters with promises of greater spending on healthcare, education and infrastructure.

Politicians also stressed their commitment to improving the economy, which has been hit by the political instability of recent months.

In light of the corruption allegations against Mr Thaksin and other politicians, they were also keen to emphasise their determination to run a clean government.

But the key issue of this election was whether or not voters want Mr Thaksin back.