Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who lost two ministers after tough court rulings, said on Sunday he would rewrite the army-designed constitution, a move likely to intensify street protests to oust him. The embattled premier, whose government is threatened by a series of lawsuits, also announced that he would reshuffle his cabinet and unveil an economic stimulus package on Tuesday.
Samak blamed the current crisis on the 2007 constitution, designed by the coup makers who overthrew prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, which gives judges more oversight powers in the political arena.
"As Buddha says we must tackle sufferings at their causes, we have to amend this constitution that is causing this crisis," Samak, a devout Buddhist, said on his weekly TV show. Any move to amend the charter could intensify a nearly two-month old street campaign, whose leaders accuse the government of seeking to protect Thaksin from corruption charges.
"It will only upset more people and invite them into the streets," Ramkhamhaeng University analyst Boonyakiat Karavekphan said, referring to the street protests led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Samak's remarks could trigger further selling of Thai shares, which have fallen nearly 16 percent since the PAD-a coalition of activists, royalists and businessmen-launched their campaign 7 weeks ago.
The government's fight for its political survival may also divert attention from an economy reeling from decade-high inflation and stuttering growth, analysts said. "This is not good news for the stock market," UoB KayHian Securities analyst Kosin Sripaiboon said. "Political turbulence will continue as people oppose the charter amendment."
MORE CASES AHEAD: More legal cases loom in the weeks and months ahead for Samak's People Power Party (PPP) and two other ruling parties, charged with vote-buying in a December poll. If found guilty, they could be disbanded and their leaders barred from politics for five years, although the cases may take months to play out.
Samak blamed the ongoing crisis on Thaksin's enemies who failed to finish him off politically in the 2006 coup and now aim to disband the pro-Thaksin coalition elected in December.
Two ministers and a top politician from the PPP, which leads the six-party coalition, quit or were banned from politics last week after verdicts from top judges, some of whom played key roles in drafting the 2007 charter. Defenders of the new charter say it has strengthened the checks and balances which they say Thaksin ran roughshod over during his 5 years in office.
Shrugging off the hundreds of street protesters camped less than a mile (km) from his office, Samak vowed to stay on and launch a "major" cabinet reshuffle, but did not say when. "It has been only five months for these rookie ministers, though many of them are veteran politicians, therefore I will continue to perform my duty," Samak, who survived a censure vote in parliament in June. "Many good or competent people don't want to board this ship as they are afraid it will capsize very quickly," he said.
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