Bargaining for power

[mallard]

Source: Bangkok Post

"Members of the ruling People Power party are determined to throw their support behind sacked prime minister Samak Sundaravej and vote him back into power tomorrow.

"But Mr Samak's return as head of the coalition government will not be plain sailing. It is not difficult for many MPs from the various factions within PPP to realise that the political crisis could worsen if they nominate Mr Samak as prime minister. Such a choice would only prompt more opposition and street protests from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and members of the public, who will not tolerate any attempts to bring back a person who has been found guilty by the court.

"Apart from the first option - that PPP MPs rally behind Mr Samak and vote him back in as PM - one avenue of least resistance would be to nominate current Deputy PM and Education Minister Somchai Wongsawat, or Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat, instead. Or, PPP members could vote for one of the leaders of its coalition partners to be prime minister. This last move would make sure the Democrats are kept out of the picture as far as the formulation of a new coalition government is concerned. In such a scenario, Chart Thai party leader Banharn Silpa-archa emerges as a prudent choice to lead the government.

"Yet another possibility is that the opposition Democrats are able to convince the five coalition partners to cross over to their side and nominate Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as prime minister."


Read more: http://www.bangkokpost.net/topstories/topstories.php?id=130588

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Talk about 'cooking up' reasons to displace the now-former PM, the recipe still seems to lack that most cherished authentic Thai flavor. Why do ethnic Chinese run the country this way, ever using Thais as a second-class service minion? They've already got it so good - why keep pushing it to the limit of legal mayhem?

With thugs waiting in in the wings at every provincial HQ, every town and village public service office, all railway stations, POLICE STATIONS, ARMY BASES, SCHOOOOOLS and all post offices nationwide, to make sure they get what they are told to want, the oligarchs still have some arms to twist in Bangkok - most apparently.

PAD is a surreptiously paid-for and fed, elitist 'disorder' organization for whom democracy is the inescapable opposing force. Their claim to be 'royalists' is just about as sincere.

Please, King Rama Nine, say something definitive. Number 10 is looking for a comfortable seat.