USA happy with Thailands free and fair election

The United States said Sunday it welcomes the "free and fair" parliamentary election in Thailand and congratulated Thailand for the "crucial step toward a return to elected government."

"The United States welcomes initial reports indicating that Thailand's parliamentary election today was conducted in a free and fair manner and congratulates the people of Thailand on taking this crucial step toward a return to elected government," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement.

"The Thai people turned out at the polls to show their support for a return to elected government," the statement said. "The United States looks forward to engaging seriously across a range of issues with an elected Thai government, in keeping with the proud history of our warm friendship and strong alliance," the statement added.

The U.S. statement came after exit polls showed the People Power Party (PPP), a party closely related to the coup-ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was winning Sunday's parliamentary election.

The poll by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, one of the two leading survey institutions recognized by the Election Commission to conduct the exit polls for Sunday's election, showed the PPP got 256 seats, a majority in the 480-member House of Representatives of Thailand.