'Gang of four' politicians get first taste of defeat

The so-called ''gang of four'' politicians inside the People Power party (PPP) were given their first taste of defeat yesterday when a House meeting in search of a new prime minister took a surprise turn.

The House session was cut short when the five coalition partners, along with about 70 dissidents in the PPP, revolted against the proposed nomination of Samak Sundaravej as prime minister.

They did not show up at the meeting, which resulted in the House of Representatives lacking a quorum to endorse the nomination.

The meeting was adjourned until Wednesday.

The twist comes as a blow to the so-called 'gang of four' and shuts the door on Mr Samak's chances of returning to lead the government after he was disqualified from the job of prime minister by the Constitution Court for breaching the charter by hosting paid-for cooking shows on commercial television.

Samak: Said to have thrown in the towel

The gang of four _ as they are called by the PPP's Isan Pattana faction _ are said to be Mr Samak, his secretary-general Theerapol Nopparampa, Finance Minister and PPP secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee and Newin Chidchob, a veteran politician and former Thai Rak Thai MP who controls a large faction of northeastern MPs in the PPP.

Since many party members and coalition partners have now made it clear they will put up resistance to Mr Samak's return, the PPP must seek other options.

''Mr Samak needs a couple of days to make up his mind. If he agrees [to pull out], things will be easier,'' PPP deputy leader and Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat said yesterday.

A PPP source said Mr Samak had now thrown in the towel and would step aside to make way for the party to search for a new candidate.

PPP deputy leader and caretaker prime minister Somchai Wongsawat has been mentioned as a possible successor.

The source added Mr Samak may even consider quitting as party leader.

On Thursday night, Mr Somchai and Mr Surapong were working hard to make sure Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa supported the PPP's bid to form a new government. A source at Chart Thai said former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra contacted Mr Banharn and asked him to support Mr Samak.

The failed bid to vote for a new prime minister has exposed a deepening rift in the PPP between the gang of four and other factions led by Yaowapa Wongsawat, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, Paichit Sriworakhan, Preecha Rengsomboon, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan and former Thai Rak Thai executive Chaturon Chaisaeng.

The conflict resulted from them being unhappy with Mr Newin's inclination to work the crowds that often put the PPP into confrontation with others.

Mr Preecha, a leader of the Isan Pattana faction, has promised his group will stop Mr Newin dominating the party at all costs.

A source close to the opponents of Mr Samak said Mr Thaksin tried to convince the dissident factions to close ranks around Mr Samak, but they refused.

Mr Newin's associates said Mr Newin and his faction have now been beaten.

''Mr Newin has admitted defeat and agreed to end infighting among party members.

''Actually, Mr Samak's opponents respect and accept Mr Samak, but they cannot stand Mr Theerapol, who is Mr Samak's close aide,'' the source said.

Mr Samak's weakness is that he refused to listen to anyone but Mr Theerapol.

This caused him to misjudge situations, particularly the position of the coalition partners.

The source added Mr Newin is now giving faction leaders such as Mr Yongyuth and Khunying Sudarat a free hand to run the party and they are expected to push for Mr Somchai to be prime minister.

The pendulum has now swung from Mr Newin to faction leaders such as Mr Yongyuth, Mrs Yaowapa and Khunying Sudarat, who now hold the reins of power in the PPP.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/130908_News/13Sep2008_news01.php

Samak steps aside after embarrassing no-vote

Embarrassed at being rejected by members of his own party, Samak Sundaravej has given up hope of being reinstated as prime minister and may step away from leading the People Power party (PPP). Mr Samak's decision was revealed yesterday by Theerapol Nopparampa, his close aide, after he spent about 50 minutes meeting Mr Samak at his home.

Mr Samak asked him to tell PPP members that he has tried his best to protect democracy. He would now end his effort and let the party decide on its own future.

Mr Samak's remarks have led to speculation that he will quit as PPP leader as well.

PPP registration officer Samarn Lertwongrat said he had not been informed about Mr Samak's resignation as party leader.

Mr Samarn said any such move would only take effect when the besieged former prime minister's resignation letter reached the party's secretary-general or himself.

PPP MPs held a meeting yesterday after the vote for a new prime minister in the House was postponed to next Wednesday due to a lack of a quorum.

Coalition parties and about 70 PPP MPs who opposed Mr Samak's nomination refused to attend the House for the vote.

Quiet in the House as coalition partners Chart Thai, Puea Pandin, Pracharaj, Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana and Matchimathipathaya members stay away in opposition to the attempt to nominate Samak Sundaravej as prime minister again. — Photos by PATTARACHAI PREECHAPANICH

The MPs asked deputy PPP leaders Somchai Wongsawat and Sompong Amornwiwat and secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee to convince Mr Samak to withdraw his nomination, though they said he should have the right to nominate someone for the job.

Sompong Amornwiwat, a key PPP contender for post, said the coalition parties would announce in the next two days the formation of the new alliance.

On Monday, the PPP will meet to select a member to stand for prime minister.

Mr Sompong said the party will tell coalition partners the name of its contender on Tuesday before voting takes place in the House on Wednesday.

According to PPP sources, deputy PPP leaders, Mr Somchai or Mr Sompong, are likely to be nominated.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob postponed the vote after a group of PPP MPs and members of the other five coalition partners opted not to attend the House meeting to elect the new prime minister. The next meeting of the House was scheduled for Wednesday.

Wichian Udomsak, an Amnat Charoen MP and member of the Friends of Newin Chidchob group that pushed for the reinstatement of Mr Samak, said in his opinion parliament might be dissolved if the House cannot elect a new prime minister next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, three Chart Thai MPs, Pathum Thani MP Ekkapot Panyaem, Ang Thong MP Paradorn Prissananantakul, and Si Sa Ket MP Siripong Angkhasakulkiat explained Chart Thai's decision not to attend the House meeting yesterday.

They said it was due to disagreement within the PPP on the nomination of Mr Samak.

They agreed to boycott the meeting to ensure it was postponed.

A Chart Thai source said party leader Banharn Silpa-archa on Thursday night received calls from PPP groups that supported and opposed Mr Samak's nomination.

Mr Siripong said Chart Thai was not playing political games with the PPP as alleged by PPP spokesman Kuthep Saikrachang, adding that: ''We want to let the major party finalise its nomination first.''

Mr Siripong said the PPP should take into account people's opinions on its nomination of prime minister, while the next prime minister should be someone capable of solving the country's crisis.

Somsak Prissananantakul, a deputy Chart Thai leader, said postponing the vote would allow all parties more time to think about the country's direction.

Another deputy Chart Thai leader, Kanchana Silpa-archa, daughter of party leader Banharn, said the six coalition parties remain united.

Yesterday morning, about 1,000 pro-government demonstrators led by the Khon Rak Udon group (Love Udon People) turned up in front of parliament to support the reinstatement of Mr Samak.

The demonstrators were from Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Ratchaburi and Samut Prakan provinces.

Clad in red tops, they expressed their anger when they heard about the lack of quorum in the House and that voting was postponed.

The group's leader, going under the alias Pey Klong Toey, vowed to list the names of PPP MPs who were absent from the House, and proposed the party expel them. They were all elected because of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's influence, not because of their own talent, he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/130908_News/13Sep2008_news00.php

PAD celebrates but will fight on

People's Alliance for Democracy yesterday vowed to continue its anti-government rally even though Samak Sundaravej was stripped of the premiership by the Constitution Court.

''The PAD will continue its rally until all dishonest politicians under the Thaksin regime are rooted out,'' core PAD leader Somsak Kosaisuk told the demonstrators minutes after the charter court handed down its verdict.

The PAD also warned parliament, which will convene on Friday to vote for a new prime minister, not to propose ''any person with a blemished record or who violated the constitution to head the government.''

The group also condemned the ruling People Power party's resolution to support Mr Samak again as prime minister.

If Mr Samak returned, it would be like ''bringing a corpse back to politics,'' said PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila.

In its statement released yesterday, the PAD said Mr Samak's breach of the charter proved he and his ''puppet cabinet'' were no longer fit to run the country.

The PAD will maintain its mission to guard the constitution and support all attempts to bring about political change by any groups which intend to protect the 2007 constitution and to solve problems caused by the Thaksin regime and its proxy government via the judicial system, the statement said.

The PAD will join these groups to call for the judicial process in corruption cases against Mr Thaksin and his associates as well as lese majeste charges against Jakrapob Penkair and Veera Musikapong to be speeded up.

They also demanded the abrogation of the joint Thai-Cambodian communique that, they said, compels Thailand to give up the Preah Vihear temple and its surrounding area to Cambodia.

Undeterred by heavy rainfall at Government House, PAD supporters stood in ankle-deep water to listen to the verdict on Mr Samak.

Loud cheering and applause broke out when it was announced that the court had decided to disqualify Mr Samak, who was found guilty of violating the charter.

People rushed out of their tents, shook each other's hands, clapped and danced.

''I'm deeply satisfied today. The verdict shows the court is still what we can rely on,'' said Nantapong Ranjuan, a 46-year-old resident of Surin, who travelled hundreds of kilometres from his home town to join the rally, which has lasted more than 100 days so far.

The cheering lasted for around 20 minutes. It went on for so long that PAD leaders had to try to calm them down and even asked them to stop.

''Please don't be glad that Mr Samak is gone,'' core PAD leader Somsak Kosaisuk told the demonstrators.

He was advising caution because it was still unclear whether the House would vote for Mr Samak to come back.

Sondhi Limthongkul, another PAD core leader said: ''We've come too far to back off.

''We saw a sign of victory today when Mr Samak was disqualified.''

http://www.bangkokpost.com/100908_News/10Sep2008_news03.php

Samak sacked, but PPP to back him again for PM

Sacked prime minister Samak Sundaravej has accepted the People Power party's decision to again nominate him to lead the government, high ranking sources in the coalition parties said last night.

The Constitution Court yesterday afternoon disqualified Mr Samak from the job of prime minister for violating the constitution by hosting two cooking shows on commercial television.

Shortly afterwards, the PPP held a meeting and resolved to again throw its support behind Mr Samak.

This was supported by all parties in the coalition government, including Chart Thai which earlier was reluctant to back him, the sources confirmed.

Parliament, which is firmly controlled by the six coalition parties, will vote for a prime minister on Friday, House Speaker Chai Chidchob said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Somchai Wongsawat will act as prime minister for the time being.

Mr Samak, the PPP leader, did not talk to the press after the court's decision.

PPP spokesman Kuthep Saikrachang said Mr Samak and the party respected the court's decision. Even though Mr Samak has been stripped of his premiership, he remains an MP and there are no laws banning him from holding political office, Mr Kuthep said.

''The party has reached a unanimous decision and will nominate Mr Samak to be prime minister again,'' he said.

Party members did not think there was anything amiss with Mr Samak's actions and he did not cause any damage to the country.

Wattana Sengpairoh, a failed PPP candidate in Bangkok, said Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan still backed Mr Samak to lead the government. A former Thai Rak Thai party executive member, she has close ties to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and controls the faction of Bangkok MPs in the PPP.

However, MPs from the Isan Pattana faction inside the PPP disagreed with the quick decision to support Mr Samak, Roi Et MP Sakda Kongpetch said.

Voravaj Eua-apinyakul, an MP from Phrae, warned the party it must prepare a clear explanation for the public why it decided to bring Mr Samak back to head the government again.

The deputy leader of the Puea Pandin party, Information and Communications Technology Minister Mun Patanotai, said his party's position remains unchanged. ''The party still supports the PPP. Leaders of other coalition parties still back Mr Samak,'' he said.

A source in Puea Pandin said members had to convince their party leader Suvit Khunkitti to back their desire to stay with the government.

Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa rejected speculation he would succeed Mr Samak as head of the government, saying he could not stand the pressure from the government's critics.

Chart Thai deputy leader Somsak Prissananantakul, the agriculture minister, said Chart Thai was ready to support the party with the majority of seats in the House to form the government.

The push for Mr Samak's return was strongly opposed by the Democrat party.

Democrat deputy chief adviser Banyat Bantadtan urged the PPP and its coalition partners to listen to the public mood and do their bit to ease the political tension.

The nine judges on the charter court bench were unanimous in disqualifying Mr Samak for breaching the constitution by hosting the Chim Pai Bon Pai (Tasting and Grumbling) and Yok Khayong Hok Mong Chao (All Set at 6am) cooking programmes. The court said there was proof that Mr Samak, when prime minister, continued to do the shows and to receive remuneration from the producer, Face Media.

This meant that Mr Samak worked for the company by definition of Article 267. This article prohibits a prime minister from holding any position in a partnership, company or an organisation carrying out business with a view to sharing profits or income, or being an employee of any person.

The meaning of ''employee'' in the charter is broader than definitions of the term in other laws, the court said.

The court said the spirit of the constitution is to make sure the prime minister and cabinet ministers carry out their jobs properly and to protect against conflicts of interest.

The court said only the prime ministership of Mr Samak is terminated. Other cabinet ministers shall remain in office and continue their duties until a new prime minister and a new cabinet are sworn in.

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PAD exploits members as 'bargaining tools'

A group of 40 academics has called on the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to stop using demonstrators as bargaining tools.

The group warned yesterday that the political stalemate was in danger of spinning out of control.

About 40 academics, formed loosely as the "network for public peace and morality", said the PAD had gone astray as a civil movement.

The group encouraged the PAD to obey the law and come up with democratic demands for change.

Political scientist Prajak Kongkirati of Thammasat University said the PAD core leaders' decision to lead thousands of demonstrators to camp inside Government House was a misplaced and illegal strategy which showed their intention was to goad the Samak government into using force against civilians.

"They should not use these people as bargaining tools because this could lead to further violence," he said, adding the nine PAD core leaders, who are wanted on arrest warrants for breaking into government offices, know the police will be cautious about arresting them as long as they are guarded by thousands of demonstrators.

If the authorities exercise force, PAD can claim justification for the elected government to be turfed out of office through undemocratic means, he said.

The PAD, fronted by media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, Chamlong Srimuang and Somsak Kosaisuk, directed protesters to storm Government House on Aug 26. They have camped inside the compound ever since.

The academics said the government's decision to hold a referendum on the political issue is not a timely tool to solve the stalemate.

They called on the protesters to leave Government House, and the PAD core leaders to obey the law by turning themselves in to the police.

The group also urged the government to immediately lift the emergency decree and refrain from using force to disperse the protesters.

Since the police are not armed, the PAD's guards should also put down their weapons, the academics said.

But an unresolved political deadlock was unlikely to lead to civil war, as feared by certain groups, according to political scientist Thanet Aphornsuvan of Thammasat University.

"If the situation goes out of control, the worse-case scenario could be that the military stages a coup and there's more bloodshed," he said.

Prapas Pintoptang of Chulalongkorn University said PAD should have pressed the government for change through legal channels and peaceful means.

The PAD's "New Politics" proposal - a government with 70% appointed MPs and 30% elected - would lead to an undemocratic system which would reduce people's power and allow the country to be run by a small group of individuals, he said.

Bencharat Sae-chua of Mahidol University said the basic right to protest had been cited by both sides, but neither had opted for peaceful means.

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Another coup is possible, says close aide to the CNS

Another military coup is possible if the political strife lasts much longer, says a former close aide to people behind the 2006 coup.

While stressing that the present stand-off should be tackled through political means, Gen Somjet Boonthanom, the chief adviser to the defence permanent secretary's office, said military intervention may be necessary if all other means failed.

''If the problems cannot be resolved by democratic means and the country is caught in a deadlock, a coup may be necessary,'' said Gen Somjet, a close aide to former Council for National Security (CNS) secretary-general Winai Phattiyakul.

He urged parties involved in the dispute not to focus on winning and suggested the government consider its future if it is unable to steer the country away from political turmoil.

The People's Alliance for Democracy and Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej are still at loggerheads, despite mediation attempts by parliament to find a settlement.

In his national broadcast yesterday, Mr Samak said again that he would stay on as prime minister, to defend democracy and the monarchy.

He also dismissed the possibility of the military mounting a coup to topple his administration when he attends the United Nations General Assembly session in New York later this month.

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in 2006 while he was at a UN function.

''I will deliver my speech at the United Nations and I don't believe any unwanted incidents will happen, such as when Mr Thaksin went to speak there.

''The military knows the international community will not tolerate [another] coup,'' he said.

PAD core member Chamlong Srimuang said his group would not negotiate as long as Mr Samak stayed in power.

Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej, assigned by parliament to mediate the conflict, had yet to contact the PAD, he said.

Mr Prasopsuk said he will discuss the PAD's conditions with his working team today.

The mediation attempt comes after Mr Samak imposed a state of emergency in the wake of a violent clash between pro- and anti-government demonstrators last Tuesday.

Political parties will today also explore possible options to mitigate the conflict. Party leaders and secretaries-general are expected to attend.

Meanwhile, a source in the People Power party said Mr Samak is likely to dissolve the House of Representatives eventually. It was only a question of when.

The source said if cabinet endorses the annual reshuffle of state officials at the mobile cabinet meeting tomorrow, the chances of a House dissolution are high.

Some even expect the announcement on Saturday, said the source.

''Mr Samak and his group are buying time to prepare for elections,'' said the source

http://www.bangkokpost.com/080908_News/08Sep2008_news05.php

PAD shuts down airports

Supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) sealed off some of the country's major airports and threatened to seize city halls in the South in a bid to force the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej shortly after the state of emergency was imposed yesterday. About 1,000 PAD supporters closed the roads to the Hat Yai airport yesterday morning. They set up a stage in front of the airport and vowed a protracted siege of the airport.

Four companies of anti-riot and border patrol police were deployed to secure the airport and bring security there to its highest level.

About 300 of the group's supporters sealed off the airport for four hours yesterday and then left for Bangkok to join the PAD demonstration at Government House.

Praween Julapakdi, a PAD coordinator in Surat Thani, said the two evening flights would not be blocked.

Key southern supporters of the PAD announced in Chumphon yesterday they would lay siege to city halls in all 14 southern provinces if Mr Samak insists on staying.

Highways in the region would also be blocked, said Sunthorn Rakrong, the PAD's southern coordinator.

The movement's backers forced the cancellation of seven flights at Hat Yai airport yesterday.

Prapas Inthanapasat, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) director in Hat Yai, said the airport rally and the rail strike would hurt tourism all the more in Songkhla, which is already suffering from insurgent threats.

Phanu Woramit, TAT director in Surat Thani province, said the news of the clash between the anti-government and pro-government supporters in Bangkok early yesterday caused the cancellation of about half the flight bookings made by South Korean couples planning honeymoon trips to Koh Samui this week.

Ruangnam Jaikwang, president of the southern hoteliers' association, said the hotel industry on Koh Samui could grind to a halt if the political turmoil is allowed to persist.

In the northeastern province of Khon Kaen, some medical staff of the Srinakarin Hospital at Khon Kaen University are considering a strike if Mr Samak refuses to call it quits.

About 100 doctors, nurses and medical students at the hospital said they would withdraw all their bank savings in an effort to jeopardise the local economy.

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