Court Orders Embattled Thai Leader to Resign

RDX : 其實這是個對各方面都是最好的結果 但是泰國的同胞們做得太過了

Payment for Work
On TV Food Show
Called Unlawful
By JAMES HOOKWAY
September 10, 2008; Page A8

BANGKOK -- Thailand's prime minister has fended off sometimes-violent protests for weeks. Now he may be done in by his own cooking.
Samak Sundaravej


Samak Sundaravej, a longtime politician and occasional star of the television show "Tasting and Complaining," was ordered to resign by Thailand's Constitutional Court Tuesday. The court said it was unlawful for Mr. Samak to take money for appearing on the show while serving as prime minister.

It was the latest twist in the battle for one of Southeast Asia's linchpin economies. Thousands of protesters have occupied Mr. Samak's main office complex since Aug. 26 as part of their campaign to uproot Thailand's one-man, one-vote democratic system. They say it is too easily manipulated by populist politicians like Mr. Samak and Thaksin Shinawatra, the telecommunications billionaire who led Thailand for five years before was ousted as premier in a 2006 military coup.

Tuesday's order is unlikely to end the struggle. Mr. Samak's supporters in Parliament are already vowing to re-elect the 73-year-old politician to the premiership as soon as possible. Parliament could also choose another candidate.

The protesters say they will keep going until the entire government goes and they want to ensure that Parliament doesn't elect a "bad choice" as prime minister. They view Mr. Samak as an extension of the previous Thaksin government because most of the legislators in his party belonged to the old Thaksin party.

As of late Tuesday night local time, Mr. Samak hadn't commented on the court ruling. Meanwhile, the country will be run by Deputy Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who will serve as acting premier, the Associated Press reported.

Last week, one person was killed and dozens injured in clashes between rival sets of demonstrators, a development that frightened investors and prompted Mr. Samak to declare a state of emergency.

The Thai army, however, has refused to evict the protesters from Mr. Samak's office complex. The army's decision has isolated the prime minister and left the country deeply split between his mostly rural supporters and the mostly middle-class, urban protesters in Bangkok who want to see the military, monarchy and other elite institutions take a larger role in overseeing how Thailand is governed.
Associated Press
Antigovernment demonstrators say they will continue to protest until the entire government goes, and want to ensure Parliament doesn't make a 'bad choice' for the next prime minister.


Before the court handed down its ruling, Mr. Samak told reporters he intended to respect its decision. Mr. Samak faces a series of other court cases. A lower Thai court recently convicted him of defaming Bangkok's deputy governor. He denies the charge and has appealed the decision.

The People Power Party, which Mr. Samak led to victory in elections last December, also faces dissolution for allegedly buying votes during those polls.

That case will likely be decided in the Constitutional Court in the coming months. Mr. Thaksin is now in self-exile in Britain, where he fled to evade a series of criminal corruption charges.

"The demonstrations have gone beyond Mr. Samak should stay or go," said Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political science professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "They're about what kind of country Thailand should be and what manner of government it should have."

In testimony Monday at the Constitutional Court, Mr. Samak denied doing anything wrong by appearing on the cooking show after taking office as premier. Before the December election victory, he had hosted the show, in which he sounded off on his pet peeves while preparing classic Thai dishes.

Mr. Samak left the show when he became prime minister, but made a handful of appearances on the program, which is produced by a private company, after taking office.

That prompted opposition members of Thailand's Senate, the upper house of Parliament, to accuse Mr. Samak of breaking a constitutional ban on cabinet ministers working for private companies.

Their complaint was later brought to the Constitutional Court.

Mr. Samak said he donned his apron again "just because I enjoy doing it." The production company that made the show testified that Mr. Samak was paid an honorarium of 80,000 baht, or $2,314, for four appearances.

In its verdict, the nine-member Constitutional Court, which rules on political -- not criminal -- matters, unanimously agreed that Mr. Samak broke the constitutional ban on working for private companies and ordered him to step down as prime minister. The ruling allowed Mr. Samak to retain his position as a member of Parliament. In addition, the court ruled that Mr. Samak's current cabinet must also step down, but will be allowed to continue in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is appointed by a new prime minister.

Stock-market investors feared that Mr. Samak's return as prime minister could provoke further instability. The benchmark Stock Exchange of Thailand Index has fallen 24% since antigovernment protests began in May, and fell an additional 0.3% to 663.61 points on Tuesday.

"If the People Power Party reappoints Mr. Samak, the market is likely to head south," says Pichai Lertsupongkit, a strategist at Thanachart Securities.