No support for accused

The government will treat graft litigation in the lottery case, involving three Cabinet Ministers, as individual affairs, and the ministers involved will decide for themselves whether to keep their jobs, PM's Office Minister Choosak Sirinin said yesterday.

"Issues related to the fate of the three ministers will come up if the Supreme Court decides to launch a judicial review of the lottery case," he said.

The job status of the three ministers will also be subject to legal interpretation, because the alleged wrongdoing occurred before the government came into power, he said.

The three are Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong and Deputy Transport Minister Anurak Jureemas.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said he believed the coalition parties had been unable to pressure Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej into reshuffling the Cabinet. He said Samak might make a decision to reshuffle too late for public expectation and sentiment.

"The coalition parties cannot bring changes. The Cabinet reshuffle will depend on [ousted prime minister] Thaksin, because he is the real party-owner," Suthep said.

Referring to pressure for the removal of Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama over the Preah Vihear Temple issue, Suthep said Samak had to think hard, because although Noppadon had made a mistake, he had a Cabinet resolution backing him.

He warned that the government had to withdraw from the Preah Vihear matter, because the public would not allow it to continue, and the Administrative Court had also ruled against it.

Democrat Party spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said Samak could not avoid the public call for a Cabinet reshuffle, because coalition parties and factions within the People Power Party were also demanding change, and failure to heed the call would set a time bomb ticking for the government.

"The longer Samak waits, the more the bomb is ready to explode," he said.