[ti:Family and Allies of Former Thai Leaders Form New Party] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.00]Family members and allies of two former Thai leaders [00:05.56]announced formation of a new political party this week. [00:11.88]The party was launched Wednesday in Bangkok. [00:17.21]Its leaders are relatives and supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra [00:24.79]and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra. [00:29.25]Each served as Thailand's prime minister [00:33.33]in recent years until they were ousted. [00:37.85]Formation of the new Thai Raksa Chart Party [00:43.04]comes months before planned general elections. [00:48.19]Thailand's military government has promised [00:51.90]to hold the vote between February and May 2019. [00:58.35]Thailand's last general election was held in 2011, [01:04.41]when Yingluck Shinawatra, head of the Pheu Thai Party, [01:10.13]was chosen as prime minister. [01:13.90]She and her government were ousted from power in 2014. [01:20.48]Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown [01:24.95]when the military seized power in 2006. [01:29.44]Since then, he has lived in self-imposed exile. [01:35.39]In 2008, a Thai court found Thaksin guilty [01:41.53]of violating the country's anti-corruption law. [01:45.74]He never returned to Thailand to his trial, [01:49.68]which he said was carried out for political reasons. [01:54.28]He faces separate corruption charges brought in 2008 and 2012. [02:02.35]Yingluck Shinawatra fled Thailand in August 2017 [02:08.70]just before a court found her guilty of criminal negligence. [02:14.58]She was given a five-year jail sentence. [02:19.57]Like her brother, she did not attend her trial. [02:23.93]The 2019 elections will put supporters of Thailand's military [02:30.88]and ruling family against populist forces led by the Pheu Thai Party. [02:38.56]Political observers see the formation of the new party [02:42.69]as part of an alliance aimed at winning more seats in the vote. [02:48.43]The Thai Raksa Chart party will be led by Preechapol Pongpanich, [02:56.95]a former member of parliament with the Pheu Thai Party. [03:02.09]The leadership includes Thaksin and Yingluck's nephew and niece, [03:09.02]as well as a younger generation of political allies. [03:13.69]Parties linked to the Shinawatras [03:17.06]have won every Thai election in recent years. [03:21.29]The family still remains popular in many areas, [03:25.40]especially in the rural northeastern provinces. [03:30.15]But the military government's new constitution [03:33.99]effectively limits the number of constituency seats in provinces [03:39.89]where the Shinawatras have enjoyed support. [03:43.60]The military has said the constitutional changes [03:48.10]are aimed at limiting the power of major political parties. [03:54.21]The military government has ordered Thailand's Election Commission [04:00.03]to investigate whether Thaksin is still controlling the Pheu Thai Party. [04:07.40]Findings of that investigation could result in the party being banned. [04:13.25]Former army chief and current Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha [04:19.94]has expressed interest in entering politics. [04:24.01]But he has yet to say if he plans to compete as a candidate in the next elections. [04:31.80]I'm Bryan Lynn. [04:34.18]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM