Anti government demonstrators gather Saturday, June 21, 2008, outside Government House in Bangkok.BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej faced a fight for his political future Monday as opposition parties prepared a no-confidence debate in Parliament and thousands of protesters refused to lift their siege of his office.
Anti government demonstrators gather Saturday, June 21, 2008, outside Government House in Bangkok.
The no-confidence motion has been brought by the opposition Democrat Party in the wake of four weeks of street protests calling for the government's resignation.
Demonstrators, led by activists of the People's Alliance for Democracy, occupied the area around Government House, the seat of Thailand's government, on Friday after breaking through a police cordon.
The Senate was scheduled to begin a debate on the crisis Monday. The more powerful lower house of Parliament was to take up the no-confidence motion targeting Samak and his cabinet on Tuesday and vote on the measure Thursday.
"The senators will expose the wrongdoing of this government, to make the public aware that this government has lost legitimacy in running the country," Somchai Sawaengkan, one of 36 senators to grill the government, told The Associated Press.
In a nationwide address on government television, the embattled prime minister said he would resign if the vote went against him.
Samak's People's Power Party, whose members include many allies of military coup-ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, heads a six-party government coalition that controls about two-thirds of the 480 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The Senate does not take part in the vote.
Samak's partners would have to desert him for any non-confidence motion in the lower house to succeed, but it was not certain which way the balloting would go. Even if Samak wins the vote, the debate plus tensions in the streets could pressure his backers to find a replacement as prime minister.
Thai newspapers, including The Nation, cited possible replacements in Deputy Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and onetime Prime Minister Banharn Silipa-archa.
A defiant Samak vowed to return to his office and the demonstrators said they would not stop him.
"Prime Minister Samak, you are more than welcome to enter your office at Government House. Whether you dare to enter or not is your decision but we are not stopping you. We will pave the way for you if you want to come in," said Chamlong Srimuang, one of the alliance leaders.
The demonstrators, who began street protests four weeks ago, claim that Samak and his party are mere proxies of Thaksin, who was dismissed in a 2006 military takeover.
The parliamentary opposition, led by Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, is expected to bring up such claims as well as alleged wrongdoing and mistakes by the Samak administration. They allege that Samak has mismanaged the weakening Thai economy, interfered in the country's generally free press and mishandled negotiations with neighboring Cambodia over disputed territory.
"I will not bow to your pressure. I will pull out only if I am defeated by a vote in Parliament," Samak told the protesters.
A spokesman for the protesters' alliance, Suriyasai Katasila, said Samak's resignation alone would not satisfy their demands.
"The People's Alliance for Democracy believes that the government's decision to allow a no-confidence motion in Parliament is a political game to lessen tension," Suriyasai said.
The alliance led mass demonstrations before the 2006 coup demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power. They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against Thaksin and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest.
Rumors have swept Bangkok since the protests began that the country's powerful military would stage another coup, something the top brass has repeatedly denied.
Samak's People's Power Party won general elections last December.
Anti government demonstrators gather Saturday, June 21, 2008, outside Government House in Bangkok.
The no-confidence motion has been brought by the opposition Democrat Party in the wake of four weeks of street protests calling for the government's resignation.
Demonstrators, led by activists of the People's Alliance for Democracy, occupied the area around Government House, the seat of Thailand's government, on Friday after breaking through a police cordon.
The Senate was scheduled to begin a debate on the crisis Monday. The more powerful lower house of Parliament was to take up the no-confidence motion targeting Samak and his cabinet on Tuesday and vote on the measure Thursday.
"The senators will expose the wrongdoing of this government, to make the public aware that this government has lost legitimacy in running the country," Somchai Sawaengkan, one of 36 senators to grill the government, told The Associated Press.
In a nationwide address on government television, the embattled prime minister said he would resign if the vote went against him.
Samak's People's Power Party, whose members include many allies of military coup-ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, heads a six-party government coalition that controls about two-thirds of the 480 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The Senate does not take part in the vote.
Samak's partners would have to desert him for any non-confidence motion in the lower house to succeed, but it was not certain which way the balloting would go. Even if Samak wins the vote, the debate plus tensions in the streets could pressure his backers to find a replacement as prime minister.
Thai newspapers, including The Nation, cited possible replacements in Deputy Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and onetime Prime Minister Banharn Silipa-archa.
A defiant Samak vowed to return to his office and the demonstrators said they would not stop him.
"Prime Minister Samak, you are more than welcome to enter your office at Government House. Whether you dare to enter or not is your decision but we are not stopping you. We will pave the way for you if you want to come in," said Chamlong Srimuang, one of the alliance leaders.
The demonstrators, who began street protests four weeks ago, claim that Samak and his party are mere proxies of Thaksin, who was dismissed in a 2006 military takeover.
The parliamentary opposition, led by Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, is expected to bring up such claims as well as alleged wrongdoing and mistakes by the Samak administration. They allege that Samak has mismanaged the weakening Thai economy, interfered in the country's generally free press and mishandled negotiations with neighboring Cambodia over disputed territory.
"I will not bow to your pressure. I will pull out only if I am defeated by a vote in Parliament," Samak told the protesters.
A spokesman for the protesters' alliance, Suriyasai Katasila, said Samak's resignation alone would not satisfy their demands.
"The People's Alliance for Democracy believes that the government's decision to allow a no-confidence motion in Parliament is a political game to lessen tension," Suriyasai said.
The alliance led mass demonstrations before the 2006 coup demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power. They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against Thaksin and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest.
Rumors have swept Bangkok since the protests began that the country's powerful military would stage another coup, something the top brass has repeatedly denied.
Samak's People's Power Party won general elections last December.
8 comments:
Yo yo yo,...
Good job my slaves "SIAMS"!!!
Just remind all of you, "The more you fight each other, the more bones you receive from Khmers" and "The strongers receive the bigger bone"
Ok, keep go on slaves.
Khmer Students Association in Germany
ជាតិសាសន៍សៀមថៃ
ជាតិជាសាសន៍សៀម ប្រៀបដូចសត្វមៀម លាក់លៀមពុតត្បុត ចរិតគួរស្អប់ ដល់ទីបំផុត ខ្មែរតែងកំណត់ ជាសត្វចង្រៃ។
ជាតិជាសាសន៍ថៃ ប្រៀបដូចសត្វចៃ អប្រិយហួសស្មាន ចរិតស្មោកគ្រោក គ្មានអ្វីប្រៀបបាន ចិញ្ចឹមអង្គប្រាណ ដោយការបឺតឈាម។
សូមជួយនិពន្ធបន្ត
Khmer Students Association in Germany
All of the claims by these stupid protesters are bullshit.
Go and tell those oil investors to stop purchasing oil. May be the price will go down a little bit or tell the Russian government to stop sucking up their oil company's profit to pay for their government or allowing those oil companies to have more money to themself. So that they can use them to drill for more oil or better, yet go tell the damm Neigerian government to stop controling the export of the oil and stop stealing money from their people. May be the whole world's economy will get better a little bit. These people are so terrified of Sammak punishing their top 16 people for wrongly driving Mr. Thaksin out of the office and it has nothing to do with Preah Vihear. God Damm it these people must be a cave men in June of 1962 and during this present day!
Democracy is really fuck up here. Everyone abuses it more than they uses it.
Great job Siam people. Keep up the good work to fight with your government and later on your siamese will get a great war between your people. I wish your siamese are death
I think this is one of Ah Siamese cunny tricks; I have notified that every time when Ah Siam nation negotiates with Cambodian GV'T especially caustal & tertorial related, once they won somes ground, its seem to me that, the opposition party allways accued the nagotiators GV'T body of betroyal of thai national sovereignty then the coup attemp erupted chasing them from Power. I wanted to montion from PM THAKSIN and the present GV'T in Power, as we have seen recently negotiation going on with Hun Sen GV'T they always gain both ways (Caustal & on land), their tricks is persisted still! IS THIS THE WAY HOW AH SIAMESE ALLWAYS TAKING LAND AND SEA BIT BY BYT FROM US? THIS WHY THE KING IS TAKING MILITARY ON HIS SIDE? if so, that mean Ah Siamese ruling by military and the King for very lontime!.. itsn't Democratic rulling Country though!..( why don't this stupid Khmer GV'T do the same; when Ah Siamese changed GV'T cause by this act, let restart from the squar one again when ever negotiation required into the future between both Countries). PLS any compatriotists have a god idear explain to me about this ragards I would appreciated very much!.
God bless Cambodia ! Down Ah Siamtai! I BAR PEN ROK PRASAAT NAR KAHH.
i see them as no different from the ordinary khmer people, what make them so special? go to hell!
these thugs are being drugged and perhaps have so idea that they are just slaves to their gov't special interest. their gov't used them as a scapegoat or a buffer in the democracy to deal with any disagreement a special interest group are not satisfying with when dealing with their foreign ministry and so on. and they think cambodia are that dumb! maybe cambodia be clever like them like this to beat them at their own game. god bless cambodia.
Post a Comment