Cooking show may cause thai PM to Resign

[Marshal]

Thailand's Constitutional court convict Thai PM for taking part in cooking show, Thai PM may have to resign.
The above NEWS is breaking right now............
The following news is few hours old

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Weeks of violent street protests have not succeeded in forcing embattled Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej from office. But on Tuesday, he faces the possibility of ouster over something far less incendiary: cooking on a TV show.

Thailand's Constitutional Court is expected to rule on whether Samak violated the country's constitution by taking part in a television cooking show.

Ministers are barred from working for private companies, and Samak's opponents filed the case hoping that a conviction will compel him to step down.

Samak appeared in court Monday, and argued that he had not violated any rules.

His work for the television company, he said, was as a freelancer and not an employee. Further, he said, the show was not on the air any more and that he received just $2,300 for his appearances.

The 73-year-old Samak continued to appear sporadically on the show "Tasting while Grumbling" after he became prime minister in February. On the show, he served up personal favorites and dished on topics that struck his fancy.

Soon after taking office, he told CNN that he was no reason to halt his participation.

"Somebody says as a prime minister, I have time, but I should not do such a thing like that. I said, 'No, I checked the constitution already. There's no obstruction with that,'" he said.

Professor Suchit Bunbongkarn, an expert on the constitution, said the document clearly bans prime ministers from being employed by a private entity.

"It depends on the constitutional court to decide whether receiving money to appear in the programs on the television could be considered an employee of any employer or not," he said.

The court case is another attempt by Samak's opponents who have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at him.

Even if the court rules in his favor, Samak is facing charges of corruption, appealing a three-year prison sentence for defaming a deputy governor and dealing with an election commission decision last week that his party committed electoral fraud in the December elections and should be dissolved.

In addition, thousands of protesters have camped outside the Government House, the government's headquarters -- blocking Samak from entering since August 26.

The protesters are demanding that Samak step down. They accuse him of being a proxy for his ousted predecessor, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Samak has strongly denied the allegation and has refused to resign.

On Tuesday, he declared a state of emergency in the capital city of Bangkok after overnight clashes between his supporters and anti-government demonstrators that wounded 40 and left one person dead.


The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) -- which is heading the protests -- contends Samak is trying to amend the constitution so Thaksin does not have to face charges. Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006, returned to England last month just as he was to appear in court in a corruption case.

Thailand's cabinet said it will now hold a national referendum to determine whether Samak should stay in office -- but it has not agreed on the wording or when it will take place.
Court rules Thai PM should quit - CNN.com

 

[Munir]

And we have just "elected" a thief as a president... Long live democracy..

 

[Awesome]

And we have just "elected" a thief as a president... Long live democracy..

What idiots!

And why did the idiot accept money for it? Could've just done it for PR purposes.

 

[Marshal]

Court says Thai PM 'must resign'
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has been ordered to resign after being found guilty of violating the constitution over a TV cookery show.

His entire cabinet has also been ordered to step down.

Mr Samak was found to have violated a ban on ministers having outside interests by taking money from a private company to host a TV show.

However, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has vowed to re-appoint Mr Samak as prime minister.

"I insist that our party leader will be the prime minister," Wittaya Buranasiri, the chief whip of the six-party coalition led by the PPP, told reporters.

Protests

In court in Bangkok, Judge Chat Chonlaworn said that Mr Samak had "violated Article 267 of the constitution" and that "his position as prime minister has ended".

The judgment, broadcast live on television and radio, was greeted with loud cheers and claps from Mr Samak's opponents, who have occupied his office compound since the end of last month.

However, Mr Samak has not been banned from standing again for prime minister, and it will be 30 days before the court's decision comes into effect.

Thailand has had its fair share of crises recently, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok, but this is one that even the Thais are baffled by.

For the past two weeks, the Thai government has been paralysed by thousands of protesters who have occupied its office, calling for Mr Samak to resign.

They have said they will remain there until Mr Samak leaves office.

Mr Samak, a self-proclaimed foodie, hosted a popular television cooking show, Tasting and Grumbling, for seven years before becoming prime minister.

He continued to present the programme for two months after becoming prime minister, saying that any money he received was only used to cover his expenses.

However, the constitutional court has ruled that "his employment at the company can be considered an employment", and said Mr Samak gave "conflicting testimony".

There was also an attempt to fabricate evidence "to hide his actions", the judge said.

Protesters accuse Mr Samak of being a proxy for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in an army coup in 2006 amid accusations of corruption and abuse of power.

Tension spilt into bloodshed last week, when a man was killed in clashes between pro- and anti-government groups in Bangkok, prompting the government to impose emergency rule in the capital.



BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Court says Thai PM 'must resign'

 

[Marshal]

Thai coalition looks for new PM
Thailand's political parties are meeting to discuss who should replace Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, a day after he was stripped of office.

Mr Samak has not been seen since the Constitutional Court ruled he broke the law by appearing on a TV cookery show.

Parliament is due to elect 73-year-old Mr Samak's successor on Friday.

His People Power Party (PPP), the biggest in the six-member coalition, appeared to back away from an earlier pledge to re-nominate him as PM.

"What the party spokesman said yesterday was not the party's resolution. Our resolution is the next prime minister must come from the People Power Party," Reuters news agency quoted finance minister and PPP secretary general Surapong Suebwonglee as saying.

'Fuel the fire'

Now that the dust has settled after the Constitutional Court's astonishing decision on Tuesday, the bargaining has begun, according to the BBC correspondent in Bangkok, Jonathan Head.

Party factions have been holding meetings throughout the day; some have been in contact with the exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is still influential because of his continued financial support.

The PPP insists any replacement for Mr Samak must come from within its ranks, but its coalition partners are angling to get one of their own into the seat.

The second-largest of the partners, the Chart Thai Party, said the PPP should not re-nominate Mr Samak.

But Chart Thai's leader, Banharn Silpa-Archa - whose premiership a decade ago was widely blamed for a currency collapse that triggered an Asian economic crisis - told Reuters he had ruled himself out.

The opposition Democrats are proposing a new government of national unity as the best way out of the crisis - with the clear hint that their party leader should get the job.

Bangkok dangerous?

For the past two weeks, the Thai government has been paralysed by thousands of protesters who have occupied its headquarters, demanding Mr Samak quit.

They accuse him of being a proxy for Mr Thaksin, who was ousted in an army coup in 2006 amid accusations of corruption and abuse of power.

The demonstrators said they would continue to besiege Government House while waiting to see who parliament selects as the new prime minister.

They have already warned that they will continue their protests if Mr Samak or anyone else closely associated with Mr Thaksin is chosen.

The caretaker administration has anticipated the continued protests by proposing that ministers move their offices to the old international airport.

Deputy PPP leader Somchai Wongsawat is acting as a caretaker prime minister until the new premier is named.

Correspondents say his new role could fan Thailand's political flames as he is the brother-in-law of Mr Thaksin.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Thai coalition looks for new PM

 

[dr.umer]

I don't think Zardari knows cooking...oh...i forgot...he can cook dish of corruption with 10% of all ingredients