Thai prime minister battles for survival as thousands of street protesters lay siege to his office

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 05:40 EDT, 23 June 2008

Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej faced a fight for his political future today as opposition parties prepared a no-confidence debate in Parliament and thousands of protesters refused to lift their siege of his office.

The no-confidence motion has been brought by the opposition Democrat Party in the wake of four weeks of street protests calling for the government's resignation.

Demonstrators, led by activists of the People's Alliance for Democracy, occupied the area around Government House, the seat of Thailand's government, on Friday after breaking through a police cordon.

On gaurd: Thai police officers take up position outside Thai Government House in Bangkok this morning

Pressure: Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej

The Senate was scheduled to begin a debate on the crisis Monday. The more powerful lower house of Parliament was to take up the no-confidence motion targeting Samak and his cabinet on Tuesday and vote on the measure Thursday.

In a nationwide address on government television, the embattled prime minister said he would resign if the vote went against him.

Samak's People's Power Party, whose members include many allies of military coup-ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, heads a six-party government coalition that controls about two-thirds of the 480 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The Senate does not take part in the vote.

Samak's partners would have to desert him for any non-confidence motion in the lower house to succeed, but it was not certain which way the balloting would go.

Even if Samak wins the vote, the debate plus tensions in the streets could pressure his backers to find a replacement as prime minister.

Thai newspapers, including The Nation, cited possible replacements in Deputy Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and onetime Prime Minister Banharn Silipa-archa.

The demonstrators, who began street protests four weeks ago, claim that Samak and his party are mere proxies of Thaksin, who was dismissed in a 2006 military takeover.

The parliamentary opposition, led by Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, is expected to bring up such claims as well as alleged wrongdoing and mistakes by the Samak administration.

They allege that Samak has mismanaged the weakening Thai economy, interfered in the country's generally free press and mishandled negotiations with neighboring Cambodia over disputed territory.

Anger: An anti government protestor sleeps on the street outside Thai Government House with a protest sign

'I will not bow to your pressure. I will pull out only if I am defeated by a vote in Parliament,' Samak told the protesters.

A spokesman for the protesters' alliance, Suriyasai Katasila, said Samak's resignation alone would not satisfy their demands.

'The People's Alliance for Democracy believes that the government's decision to allow a no-confidence motion in Parliament is a political game to lessen tension,' Suriyasai said.

The alliance led mass demonstrations before the 2006 coup demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against Thaksin and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest.

Rumors have swept Bangkok since the protests began that the country's powerful military would stage another coup, something the top brass has repeatedly denied.
Samak's People's Power Party won general elections last December.