Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for national reconciliation yesterday after weekend elections, which he looked set to win but which seemed unlikely to end months of political turmoil.

Partial returns from Sunday's polls showed a high number of "novote" abstention ballots in Bangkok and southern Thailand that could

thwart his hopes of staying in office and of halting mass protests calling for his resignation.

Thaksin said he was confident his party would win half the vote, which was still being counted on Monday, but stopped short of declaring victory and said he was open to proposals to bring the nation back together.

"There is no need for me to become prime minister but we need

national reconciliation," he said.

"Today we will win more than half the vote. We only suffered losses in particular constituencies. We accept this," Thaksin told reporters before a meeting at his party headquarters.

Thaksin had vowed not to take office if he wins less than half the vote, styling the election, which main opposition parties boycotted as a referendum on his leadership.

Across much of northern and central Thailand, his support base appeared to have turned out in strong enough numbers to guarantee his victory, according to partial counts cited by Thai television.

But the boycott, combined with a mass disqualification of candidates, left Thaksin's party unopposed in nearly 70 percent of districts.