Wounded leaders in spotlight
Due to the whims of alphabetical order and the politics of the day, all eyes will be focused on three Apec figures - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and US President George W Bush.
All three have been wounded by political developments in their homelands. Surayud was appointed by a military junta that came to power on September 19 through a coup, albeit a bloodless one.Bush was blamed for the Republican Party recently losing control of the Congress to the Democrats. And Lee is trying to pick up the pieces after the Temasek deal with Shin Corp spun out of control. Lee has been keen on lobbying Surayud to resolve the Temasek scandal with the least damage. The Thai premier, on the other hand, has been reluctant to get himself entangled in this mess. He prefers to let the country's justice system handle the hot potato. A warm handshake and a tap on the shoulder from Bush are keenly sought after by Surayud. Bush is not expected to shun Surayud publicly in the same manner he would the Burmese junta. But he would have been more comfortable had Surayud lifted martial law before heading for the Apec Summit. Sitting at the middle of the table, Surayud will find himself sandwiched between Bush and Lee. Singapore, it has been said, likes to talk about Thailand behind its back. So don't be surprised if Lee is seen bending behind Surayud's shoulders to whisper to Bush.
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