Samak pulls out of PM race
Saturday, 13 September 2008
BANGKOK (Reuters): Samak Sundaravej has withdrawn from next week's Thai parliamentary vote to choose a new prime minister, a close aide said on Friday.
His decision came hours after parliament postponed the vote to Wednesday, heading off a collision with protesters bent on blocking Samak's return to office just days after he was forced to quit.
"He said he did his best to protect democracy. From now on it's up to the party to decide what to do next," Thirapol Noprampa, a former official in the prime minister's office, told Reuters.
House speaker Chai Chidchob had pushed back the special House of Representatives session after many MPs failed to turn up, suggesting 24 hours of back-room wheeling and dealing in Samak's six-party coalition had failed to reach a conclusion.
Police with shields guarded parliament, where hundreds of government supporters had gathered during the day, raising fears of a potential clash with anti-government demonstrators camped a few kilometers away in Samak's official compound.
His decision came hours after parliament postponed the vote to Wednesday, heading off a collision with protesters bent on blocking Samak's return to office just days after he was forced to quit.
"He said he did his best to protect democracy. From now on it's up to the party to decide what to do next," Thirapol Noprampa, a former official in the prime minister's office, told Reuters.
House speaker Chai Chidchob had pushed back the special House of Representatives session after many MPs failed to turn up, suggesting 24 hours of back-room wheeling and dealing in Samak's six-party coalition had failed to reach a conclusion.
Police with shields guarded parliament, where hundreds of government supporters had gathered during the day, raising fears of a potential clash with anti-government demonstrators camped a few kilometers away in Samak's official compound.