We ask for change, we get the same old garbage

The first one, caretaker prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, is a close relative of Thaksin, and as we all know, blood is thicker than anything else in Asia.

The second, deputy premier and finance minister Surapong Suebwonglee, is also known to be a member of the inner circle of the former Thai Rak Thai Party and close to both Thaksin and Newin, the latter being the iron fist of Buri Ram.

Finally, we have caretaker justice minister Sompong Amornvivat, a former police general and a brother in arms of Thaksin. His election would mean that the police in Thailand could do anything but wrong.

Now it becomes clear why the PAD has not ended its siege of the Government House, even though Samak has been booted out.

Any of the above three candidates is just the same old wine in a new bottle.

SAM MUNICH

BANGKOK

No current politician is |fit to lead the country

I oppose PPP's nomination of Somchai Wongsawat to be our next prime minister, or any PPP Member of Parliament for that matter, for the following reasons:

1) Somchai could try to influence the judicial process concerning his brother-in-law's cases.

2) The PPP badly mishandled the Preah Vihear Temple dispute, which almost caused a more serious conflict with our neighbour.

3) We cannot believe Thaksin when he says enough is enough. Sure, he loves our country as all Thais do. The truth of the matter is, he and his cronies love themselves more.

A new political system is needed for Thailand. We cannot just follow what the West does. The new leader of our country should be a person like Anand Panyarachun. He led the country with clean hands and pulled us out of trouble in the past. I don't see any current politicians that fit the bill. An outsider is needed to lead us out of this political quagmire.

I applaud the PAD leaders who say that they have no interest in any political position after all is said and done. They have generally acted for the people and for the country, although some of their actions in the recent past are not appropriate. What would have happened if they hadn't protested? What would have happened if Samak had led us to the end of his term? Think! That is all I can say.

SPIPUTTANA

BANGKOK

Democracy is not enough; it's good people that count

It is my hope that the members of the electorate and elected members of the Thai government will consider the following:

A democracy is only as good as its people. Their principles and values will be reflected in the people they elect, for better or for worse. The founders of the United States assumed that a strong moral base would support their democracy. In other words, they believed that democracy alone is not enough. It must rely upon the moral strength and character of its people to make it a strong and viable form of government.

WILLIAM REYNOLDS

CHIANG MAI

US Democrats choose |the wrong man again

Barack Obama's attempt to somehow tie Wall Street's problems to his Republican opponents says more about his dwindling election prospects than about his questionable market savvy.

What the senator is himself weathering is an inevitable unravelling of his own wildly exuberant ambition. Beyond even his damning lack of executive experience, the US remains a politically right-of-centre nation where his sort of left-of-centre Democrat must remain the odd man out. The Democrats' recent custom of nominating only their most liberal presidential candidates remains an unpromising strategy.

The mainstream media, too, must accept that their own exuberance on behalf of their preferred party's candidate will yet again come to nothing in November.

RON GOODDEN

ATLANTA