THAI COURT FINDS PM GUILTY

By D. Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Embattled Thai Prime Minister Samak
Sundaravej was stripped of his post Tuesday after Thailand's Constitution Court found him guilty of violating Article 267 of the constitution by hosting cooking programmes while still in office.

But Samak, 73, can still return to power as the People Power Party (PPP)
and five other coalition partners in his seven-month-old Cabinet have announced
that they would nominate him again when the parliament convenes to appoint a new
premier. The law does not prevent him from seeking office again despite the
verdict.

In May, a group of senators lodged reports with the Election Commission
(EC) claiming that Samak had violated the constitution by continuing his cooking
shows in television after becoming prime minister. The EC then submitted the
case to the Court for decision.

Under Article 267 of the constitution, a prime minister and all Cabinet
ministers must relinquish their positions in the corporate sector within 30 days
of assuming their government posts to avoid conflicts of interest.

While Samak's PPP holds the majority, the Chart Thai party said they are
ready to nominate their leader, Banharn Silapa-archa, to become the prime
minister again.

Samak has also come under tremendous pressure from thousands of anti-
government protesters who seized the Government House on Aug 26 in a bid to
force him out of office.
-- BERNAMA