Samak Sundaravej’s coalition debated whether to vote him back as Thailand’s prime minister today as opponents warned of chaos if he returns.
The Constitutional Court forced Mr Samak to resign yesterday after finding him guilty of violating the constitution by receiving payment to host TV cooking shows while in office.
The ruling marked the first time in Thai history that a prime minister had to leave office by a court order.
The mood in Thailand remained tense today as the court’s decision appeared unlikely to end a political crisis over Mr Samak’s leadership seven months after he took office.
Anti-government protesters seized the prime minister’s office compound two weeks ago to demand the ousting of Mr Samak and said they would remain camped there until they were certain he would not return.
Mr Samak’s six-party coalition was divided over whether to try to re-elect him when Parliament votes for a new prime minister on Friday. The coalition initially threw its support behind Mr Samak, but then backtracked after an emergency meeting today.
“Samak is one of our choices but nothing is final,” Paichit Sriworakan, an official from Samak’s People’s Power Party told reporters.
“The coalition partners have suggested finding an alternative person who is acceptable to all parties.”
He said some coalition members felt that nominating Mr Samak to replace himself was “not the best choice for the current political situation.” The coalition was to hold a second round of talks later today.
Mr Samak has made no public comment on the court ruling or his coalition’s offer, though the Bangkok Post quoted anonymous coalition members as saying he had privately accepted it.
Mr Samak’s whereabouts were not known, with some speculating that he had moved into a military safe house.
The opposition Democrat Party warned that returning Mr Samak to power would inflame the country’s political crisis.
The opposition was pushing to delay the parliamentary vote for a new prime minister until Monday so all parties could find “a good person that is acceptable to the public” to lead the country and resolve the political crisis, Suthep said.
Anti-government protesters call Mr Samak a puppet of deposed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was forced from office by an army coup in 2006 and recently fled to Britain to avoid corruption charges.
The People’s Alliance for Democracy, the protest organisers, said they would hold on to Government House while waiting to see who Parliament selects as prime minister. If Mr Samak or anyone tied to Mr Thaksin is picked, the occupation will continue, alliance spokesman Suriyasai Katasila said.
Newspaper editorials urged Mr Samak to bow out.
“Reappointing Samak will only widen the rift in society and risk leading the country into chaos and a bloodbath,” the Thai-language Matichon newspaper said in its editorial.
Street clashes between Mr Samak’s supporters and opponents on September 2nd left one person dead and dozens wounded in the capital, Bangkok.
For now, the 73-year-old Mr Samak has been undone by hosting the popular TV cooking show, Tasting And Complaining.
He was host for seven years before taking office in February, but he made several appearances after becoming prime minister, which the court said violated a constitutional prohibition on private employment while in office.
In his defence, Mr Samak had argued he was not an employee of the company that made the show and only received payment for his transportation and the ingredients used for cooking.
Senior deputy prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, is serving as acting prime minister. Mr Somchai is Mr Thaksin’s brother-in-law.
AP