Thai PM forced out over TV chef role
By Amy Kazmin in Bangkok
Published: September 9 2008 11:22 | Last updated: September 9 2008 18:48
Samak Sundaravej, Thailand’s prime minister, was ordered on Tuesday to resign from his post by the constitutional court, which ruled that he had violated constitutional conflict-of-interest rules by making paid-for guest appearances on a television cooking programme after taking office.
The verdict is the latest bizarre twist in a destructive political stand-off pitting Mr Samak, 73, a conservative, against dogged protesters and influential Thais who believe that he is a proxy for Thaksin Shinawatra, the controversial former prime minister ousted in a 2006 coup.
Mr Samak, the leader of the People’s Power party, which is packed with loyal Thaksin allies, has been resisting intense pressure to stand down since August 26, when members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy seized his offices, vowing to remain until he quit.
But while Mr Samak has refused to yield – even declaring a state of emergency last week in a futile attempt to evict the demonstrators – the sharp-tongued politician has been undone by a post-election star turn on Tasting and Complaining, a television cookery and chat show.
A famous foodie, the bulky Mr Samak hosted the popular show until recently, whipping up spicy curries and other flaming Thai dishes accompanied by a stream of invective on whatever was on his mind.