PM will not step down

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told executive members of his People Power Party (PPP)yesterday that he was not discouraged and would not back down over the legal and political troubles facing his embattled government.

Samak said he intended to stay on in office and "spend the time he has to the fullest in working for the people and fighting for justice", according to PPP spokesman Kudeb Saikrajang.

The premier, in his capacity as PPP leader, called an urgent meeting of party executives at its headquarters before noon.

The meeting came following a series of political and legal blows against the ruling party. These included a Constitution Court ruling that a Thai-Cambodian communique on the Preah Vihear Temple was an international agreement and therefore required endorsement from Parliament, and a Supreme Court verdict that PPP deputy leader Yongyuth Tiyapairat was guilty of vote-buying. The verdict not only stripped Yongyuth of his electoral rights for five years but has also raised the possibility of the party being disbanded.

Samak also called an urgent meeting of party MPs this afternoon to explain the issues and discuss the current political situation, Kudeb said. He added that the PM would also explain the situation to the public during his weekly television programme "Talking Samak Style" on Sunday.

The PPP leader told party executives yesterday that he was unmoved by what had happened to his government, in addition to rumours about a military coup and a House dissolution, according to the spokesman.

The PM told party executives that what had happened to the government was not beyond his expectations.

He said that despite its election victory, the PPP had been "targeted for demolition" because it was viewed as a tool for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to retain his political power.

Samak yesterday also appointed PM's Office Minister Choosak Sirinin, who also acts as the government's chief legal expert, as head of the PPP's legal team to deal with the case resulting from Yongyuth's guilty verdict.

According to Article 237 of the Constitution, the Constitution Court shall deliver an order dissolving a political party whose leader or executive member is aware of electoral fraud by any candidate of the party and fails to prevent it or take remedial action. All executives of the guilty party will be stripped of their electoral rights for five years.

At yesterday's meeting, deputy PPP leader Kan Thienkaew also suggested to Samak that he dissolve the House of Representatives as a way to get out of the political crisis. However, Kudeb said the meeting did not consider the possibility of a House dissolution and that Kan's proposal was considered a personal view.

"The government insisted that they would spend the rest of their time serving as well as possible," said the PPP spokesman.

Kan later told reporters that he believed many party MPs agreed with him about his idea of a House dissolution but that they might be too afraid to make their comments. He said that if the party was dissolved by the Constitution Court, the government would also have to stop running the country, so for him, a House dissolution would be a better choice.

Meanwhile, opposition and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday urged the prime minister to go for a major reshuffle of his Cabinet to restore confidence in his government.

He said people to be appointed to Samak's Cabinet would have to be well qualified and should not have image problems.

In a related development, Banharn Silpa-archa, leader of the coalition Chart Thai Party, said Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama would have to shoulder the responsibility for the Preah Vihear controversy. He said other Cabinet members had done nothing wrong, so they should not be held responsible.