Word: samaklis
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Less than six months ago, Samak Sundaravej's political career was all but dead: after his election to Thailand's senate was negated by the 2006 military coup, the former Bangkok governor had gone back to hosting a popular TV cooking show. But on Tuesday, the 72-year-old firebrand, once called a "devil" by democracy activists for his support of past right-wing military regimes, was formally voted in as Thailand's 25th prime minister by the country's first elected parliament since the Generals took power. Yet the question remains: will Samak really be running Thailand...
...rural poor have voted for the PPP, a party made up largely of former TRT members whose leader, Samak Sundaravej, says he will pardon Thaksin and bring back his populist agenda. But bringing Thaksin back is easier said than done. It risks antagonizing military leaders, who fear the former Prime Minister will seek revenge for the coup; Muslims in Thailand's restive south, who suffered under the military clampdown imposed during his rule; southerners in general, who traditionally vote for the Democrats and felt ignored by Thaksin's government; and his longtime foes, the urban, Bangkok-centered middle class. Some...
...aftermath of his victory, Samak said Thaksin "must stay away from politics for a while" while he fights to have the cases against him resolved in the courts; other members of the PPP have predicted Thaksin could return by Valentine's Day. But Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, says that Samak will have to keep Thaksin off the agenda - and out of power - if he wants to win over parties to join his coalition. "Samak will need to be pragmatic and flexible. He may have to listen to Thaksin, but he also has to listen to civil...
...skillful bit of mud-slinging, Samak, once himself known as a militarist, has used this scenario to accuse the Democrat Party, which has consistently criticized the coup, of being the army's puppets. Asked if he believes the generals will truly interfere if the PPP wins, Samak told TIME, "I would like to see how they will try. The world will be watching...
...With a half century in politics, Samak can't be taken lightly. Not long ago, his decades-old dream of becoming Thailand's prime minister seemed dead. Now, it may finally come true. But the star is still Thaksin. "I must grab his hand," says Samak, "and bring him back into the limelight." So long as Samak gets to share...