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Thai PM disqualified

SINGAPORE: The Constitutional Court in Bangkok on Tuesday disqualified Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for “violating” the Constitution by presenting TV shows that caused a “conflict of interest” in the discharge of his duty.

However, by nightfall, Mr. Samak’s People’s Power Party, the main constituent of the ruling coalition, indicated a preference for “re-electing” him as Prime Minister. The court, while stripping him of his post, ruled that his Cabinet, as it existed at the time of his disqualification, would function as caretaker government, pending the selection of a new leader at the helm.

With the main ruling party appearing to place itself on a collision course with the court, the prolonged political crisis took yet another dramatic turn. And, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), an umbrella group campaigning for Mr. Samak’s resignation since August 26, vowed to continue the agitation. The PAD activists, occupying the premises of the Government House in Bangkok for nearly two weeks now, greeted the verdict but did not vacate the premises.

The crux of the case against Mr. Samak is that his shows on cooking put him on the payroll of a private company. While the verdict was unanimous, some among the nine judges held that he could be deemed to have been a “business partner,” while the others saw him as an “employee.” Either way, he was ineligible to continue as Prime Minister, it was held.

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