POLITICS
AEKARACH SATTABURUTH
Cut and paste
A People's Alliance for Democracy poster depicting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Potjaman. Supporters displayed it at a mini-rally calling on the Foreign Affairs Ministry to step up efforts to extradite the couple from Britain. |
People Power party MPs say they will re-elect Samak Sundaravej as prime minister if the Constitution Court disqualifies him from the position over his hosting of cooking shows on commercial television. The constitution prohibits a prime minister from holding any position in a partnership, company or an organisation involved in business with a view to sharing profits or income, or being an employee of any other person.
If he is found guilty by the court, he will be stripped of the prime ministership.
But People Power list MP Jatuporn Promphan said yesterday the party will simply use its numbers in the House to vote him back into the position.
Mr Samak, who is also leader of the PPP, is accused of violating the constitution by hosting the Chim Pai Bon Pai (Tasting and Grumbling) and Yok Khayong Hok Mong Chao (All Set at 6am) cooking programmes.
Mr Samak is scheduled to defend himself before the court on Sept 8.
Mr Jatuporn said party MPs would vote to reinstate Mr Samak as head of the government if he is disqualified.
The party's MPs were happy with Mr Samak, he said, especially after they heard the prime minister's explanation of the distribution of arrest warrants for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Potjaman.
Sathaporn Maneerat, PPP MP for Lamphun, also said Mr Samak was the only person for the job.
He said Mr Samak would not be stripped of any electoral rights if he is disqualified from the post by the court. There was nothing to stop him running for the job again.
It was similar to the case of Commerce Minister Chaiya Sasomsab, he said.
Mr Chaiya stepped down from the position of public health minister in early July after the Constitution Court ruled that he had failed to properly declare all his assets to the National Counter Corruption Commission when he was appointed.
He made a return to cabinet in the latest reshuffle, as the commerce minister, as there is apparently no law preventing him being reappointed.
''But in Mr Samak's case, we will have to ask the House to cast a vote again,'' said Mr Sathaporn.
Nakhon Phanom MP Paichit Sriworakhan, leader of the PPP's Isan Pattana faction, said his group would vote for Mr Samak's return if the party resolved to support him.
Maha Sarakham MP Suthin Klangsaeng (PPP) said he and his faction members would also vote for Mr Samak because he had performed well as prime minister and worked well with other people.
Thana Benjathikul, Mr Samak's lawyer, said Mr Samak will focus on two points when defending himself in court.
The prime minister will show that he holds no position in the companies which produce the cooking programmes and that he has never been paid for doing the shows.
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