Word: samak
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...afraid of these people.' SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ, Thai Prime Minister, on the estimated 30,000 protesters who denounced him as a tool of the former regime...
...clear, but the Stock Exchange of Thailand's main index shot up 1.77 percent after his statement aired. "In the short term, this might contribute to stability," says Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political analyst at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. He says Thaksin's exile could give Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej - who is closely allied with the former PM and once declared himself Thaksin's "nominee" - more flexibility to negotiate with the forces lining up against his government in recent months, including street protesters, the opposition Democrat Party and elements within the military. Street protest leader Chamlong Srimuang said, however, that demonstrations...
...Many of the former Thai Rak Thai lawmakers who were not banned by the Constitutional Court grouped together under the banner of the People Power Party, which later won power in a December 2007 election. (The party is widely seen as a proxy for Thaksin; the current Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej initially described himself as Thaksin's "nominee.") While Thai courts deliver verdicts on Thaksin and his circle, Samak also faces a host of legal woes and social unrest. He is currently appealing a conviction for defamation, being investigated for a contract to purchase firefighting equipment while he was governor...
Furthermore, since Samak announced four months ago he planned to amend the constitution drawn up by a military-appointed committee - and approved in a national referendum - he and his party have been facing prolonged street protests from opposition that claims the changes are designed to invalidate the legal cases against Thaksin and the current government...
...also not clear how much longer Samak and his cabinet will be in office to protest against. Donavanik says if Thaksin fails to survive the legal process, it's unlikely he will continue to support the ruling People Power Party for long, and, he says, "That means other powerful players will have to step forward and fight for control...