Top execs, academic oppose re-electing Samak as PM

Written by Admin on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

Top execs, academic oppose re-electing Samak as PM

BANGKOK, Sept 10 (TNA) – The ruling People Power Party (PPP)’s insistence on re-electing Samak Sundaravej as the prime minister following the Constitutional Court’s decision to strip him from the post for violating the charter by hosting cooking shows on commercial televisions has drawn oppositions by top private sector executives and a leading academic.

Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) chairman Santi Vilassakdanont said he believed the court’s ruling would help ease the tension arising from the ongoing anti-government protest led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and restore investor confidence.

However, investors and the business community are closely monitoring who will become Thailand’s next prime minister.

Mr. Santi conceded that most observers were concerned that the ongoing political standoff would deteriorate if PPP insists on re-nominating Mr. Samak to the top executive post.

Thai Rice Exporters Association president Chukiati Opaswong said he viewed the court’s ruling would help ease ongoing political tensions.

He wanted to see the dissolution of the House of Representatives so that the public could decide on its own in a snap election.

Regarding reports that Mr. Samak would be re-elected as prime minister, he said it is considered an illegal and illegitimate move because Mr. Samak is no longer qualified for the post given the fact that he faced a charge of defamation which is being deliberated by the Appeals Court.

Somphob Manarangsan of Chulalongkorn University’s Economics Faculty, said the court’s ruling served to unlock the ongoing political stalemate.

So, all parties should take this opportunity to find a proper way to address the political standoff.

But if the PPP insists on re-electing Mr. Samak as prime minister, the current political situation would worsen.