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One day in the life of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej

The following is just a combination of my impressions and imagination.



Hopefully, this will make its way to the prime minister's weekly TV talk show on Sunday, because I kind of envy Thai Post for getting free advertisements seen by millions of viewers last time.

First off, if you feel sympathy for the man after reading this, it was my purpose. Let's recap his situation: here's a national leader facing court cases that could doom both his party and his career and who is besieged by protesters, an insurgency, border tension, severe economic downturn and a hostile media. Going through all this, one needs to be very expedient not every day but every hour. So, if we dissect one of his working days, it could look like this:

9.30am: An interview with Time magazine at Government House. "The accusation that I'm the nominee of Thaksin Shinawatra is an absolute joke spun by the Thai media, who hate me. What? I did say during the election campaign I would seek justice for him? You mean giving an innocent man justice makes me his nominee?"

10.30am: Meeting with People Power Party whips and government allies. "We will change the Constitution. Read my lips, we will change the Constitution. What? That will revive charges of being a nominee? Go read the next issue of Time magazine."

11.15am: Chairing a gathering of southern authorities. "Send flowers to Chetta. He's made people laugh over this problem for a change. But why didn't anybody tell me about the 'truce'? It's not as if I'm on TV bashing the media all day long."

11.55am: To Government House reporters: "Tell your editors they are lying scum of the earth!"

1pm: To an aide: "Do you really think I should say something on TV on Sunday about the southern 'truce'? I have to respond to those PAD low-lifes and I've got just one hour."

1.30pm: Meeting with PPP MPs. "Don't be afraid. We won't lose popularity over Preah Vihear. All Thais with common sense know it belongs to Cambodia."

2pm: Sending an e-mail message to Hun Sen. "Move your troops away from the Preah Vihear area, or we will be obliged to respond in kind."

2.15pm: Another e-mail to Hun Sen. "Please be aware there are many Thai civilians converging on the Thai side of the temple. Let me notify you that PAD protesters in particular wear yellow."

2.30pm: A message to Thai troops. "We must defend our sovereignty."

2.45pm: A phone call to Noppadon Pattama. "Look what your damned joint communique is doing to me!"

3pm: Wall Street Journal interview. "I'm not Thaksin's nominee. I don't harass the Thai media; they harass me. The economy is fine; nothing that Vietnam and Malaysia are not experiencing. I will not resign, and I'm gonna change the Constitution."

3.30pm: To Government House reporters: "Tell your editors to go to hell. That one over there, how old are you? Were you already born when we lost the Preah Vihear Temple?"

3.40pm: Chairing an "urgent" economic ministers' meeting. "Our government is held to ransom by the charter and the judiciary. That's why we are going to change the Constitution."

4.30pm: An "urgent" meeting with aides on the "Chim pai, bon pai" (His TV cooking show) case. "Am I going to lose my PM job?"

4.45pm: An "urgent" meeting with other aides on his  Guilty defamation verdict pending an appeal. "Am I going to lose my MP job?"

5pm: An "urgent" PPP meeting on the party's future after Yongyuth Tiyapairat was found guilty of electoral fraud. "Are we all gonna lose our jobs?"

5.15pm: Another e-mail to Hun Sen. "In my previous e-mail, please ignore the part where I said everyone knew the temple belongs to Cambodia. That was meant for domestic use only. By the way, GET YOUR TROOPS OUT!!!"

5.30pm: Meeting  on NBT offensive. "We must make the best use of the TV programme. What should we tell the public? First, I'm not a nominee. Second, we are gonna change the Constitution. Third, all the cases against us are a conspiracy."

6pm: Planning Sunday's TV talk. "I will focus again on the media. We need more information on the southern 'cease-fire'. Get me some figures to spin on the Bt46-billion relief programme. What? You people don't want me to talk about Hun Sen and Cambodia? What are you bunch of cowards so afraid of?


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