As the first (and only) premier elected under the 1997 Constitution, Thaksin demonstrated some of the problems associated with that document. He accrued tremendous power for himself and his cabinet. Thaksin was a strong prime minister at the head of a dominant political party and a strong and independent executive branch. While the drafters of the constitution had intended there to be a strong party system and a powerful executive, some considered Thaksin’s government an abuse of these constitutional provisions.