Court rules Thai prime minister must resign over cookery show

[depakid]

Source: Guardian UK



The Thai prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, must resign in the next 30 days after a court ruled today that he had breached the constitution by hosting four cookery shows after he took office. The extraordinary decision of Thailand's constitutional court will throw the entire government into turmoil as Samak's cabinet will also have to step down once replacements have been nominated.

Thai politics have been paralysed for weeks by anti-government protesters whose street campaigns demanded the renowned gourmand quit on the grounds he was corrupt. Demonstrators occupied Samak's compound and the protests turned violent, invoking the declaration of a state emergency.

But in the end it was his cookery show that was Samak's undoing. The decision of the court's nine judges, who said that "his position as prime minister has ended", could provide a way out of the current crisis as Samak has become a lightning rod for the protesters' anger.

But even after the court's six-to-three majority verdict, Samak's party and political allies in the six-party coalition said they would nominate him as prime minister again. The constitution sanctions no penalty for the breach.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/09/thailand1

[demnan]

1. What a bizarre story

Here we have a President starting a war over a lie and no one does anything. All this guy did was shovel stuff in a wok and he's impeachable?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Sounds like a "Capone caught on tax evasion" story

Samak, 73, had been hosting the television show "Tasting, Grumbling" for the past eight years, while he was the governor of Bangkok. He gave up in April, two months after he became prime minister.
...
But the £270 that he received for transport and the purchase of the ingredients for each of the four shows filmed after he assumed office constituted his cultivating a business interest, according to today ruling.

Samak denied that he been employed by the show's producers, but the judges ruled that he had breached a clause in the constitution, which was rewritten after the 2006 military coup that ousted his predecessor, Thaksin Shinawatra.

In what is bound to be controversial interpretation, the judges said he had contravened a rule that barred ministers from holding outside business interests while in office. The clause was designed to eliminate the conflicts of interest that bedevilled Thaksin's rule.

I'd actually say those sound like legitimate expenses. I'd be more worried by the TV company giving him free time to spout his politics, actually.

[unblock]

6. not impeachable. DONE. OUT. GONE.

not a political ruling but a legal one.
he was ruled to have broken the law and so legally his job was terminated.

imagine THAT in the u.s.!

[Ian David]

3. Can't believe they'd impeach their leader over a show-job. n/t

[HereSince1628]

4. Do you suppose he was advocating dishes with Arugula?????????

[shadowknows69]

5. Lol

Makes me feel slightly better about our crazy ass country. Not much. Can we get GW a TV show?

[Swede]

7. Time to kick it up -ANOTHER NOTCH!

Pork fat rules? :shrug:

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Not so fast: Samak accepts Thai PM nomination

Thailand's Samak Sundaravej has accepted his party's nomination as prime minister - two days after he was forced to quit the post.

The People's Power Party said there was nothing in the constitution to stop them from choosing him again.

The move is likely to be opposed by the PPP's coalition partners, as well as thousands of protesters who have sought Mr Samak's resignation.
...
Although the PPP is the largest party in parliament, it does not have an outright majority and four of its five coalition partners have already said they want an alternative candidate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7609705.stm[/div}