Borwornsak said he would soon become ordained as a Buddhist monk to make merit on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne.

He would not say for how long he would be in the monkhood but said that he planned to become an independent academic after leaving the monastic world.

"I won't be an adviser to any political party and won't contest the election. I'm not ready to enter politics," he told reporters at Government House in the afternoon. Borwornsak said he had thought about leaving his job a few months ago and that he considered the time was now right to quit.

He refused to disclose what he had discussed with caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra about his departure. "It's a personal matter between the prime minister and me and I should not talk about it in public."

When asked what he wanted to tell politicians involved in running the country, Borwornsak said he expected them to "think less about themselves and to think more about His Majesty the King, the country and the Thai people, and things will improve".

In his statement yesterday, Borwornsak said that his work

had been affected by "unusual changes in the political situation that led to distrust in the country". He said that he and his family were worried about the current scenario.

Borwornsak, who started his current post in April 2003, said his resignation takes effect on Saturday and that his deputy will take over his job before an official replacement is appointed.

In response to remarks that he has changed a lot over the years, Borwornsak said people should

be judged from their entire life, and not just a portion of their career.

He was a drafter of the current Constitution and served as secretary-general of the Parliament's prestigious King Prajadhipok Institute before assuming the current post.

Thaksin broke the news to his fellow Cabinet members towards the end of their meeting yester-day, leaving them stunned. Borwornsak said he intended to leave quietly and also asked for forgiveness for his possible bad deeds - a traditional act of men about to enter the monkhood.

Borwornsak, a permanent state official, is not the first government figure to make a surprise entry into the monastic world. In the run-up to the April 2 snap elections, Premsak Pearyura, who was then a party-list candidate for the Thai Rak Thai Party, became ordained at short notice, leaving the ruling party with no time to find a replacement.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday that Borwornsak's replacement should be able to meet all the required qualifications, in addition to winning the trust of ruling politicians and avoiding a leak of government secrets.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said he believed Borwornsak opted to quit because he felt uneasy in his position.

"His decision came not too late to restore his reputation and dignity," he said, adding that Wissanu, another legal expert in the government, should follow suit.

Piyanart Srivalo

 The Nation