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Published on August 1, 2007

Old politicians never die. Samak Sundaravej may walk out of the closet to save the remnants of the Thaksin regime by leading the Palang Prachachon Party (People Power Party), or PPP, into the next election.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, a key member of the Thai Rak Thai Group, has just paid a visit to Samak at his home in order to persuade him to become leader of the PPP. During their conversation, Sudarat phoned ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and let him talk directly to Samak.

Now, members of the Thai Rak Thai Group are applying for membership in People Power.

Samak is a man for all seasons and one of the veteran Thai politicians who has survived in all political climates. He was an ally of Thaksin during the former PM's years in power. Before the coup, he assumed a role as a TV broadcaster, hosting a talk show with Dusit Siriwan.

Samak is an ultra-right politician who cites "nationhood, religion and the monarchy" as his mantra. But over the years he has changed his political standing so often it is difficult to pinpoint what he really stands for. Yet his popularity among Bangkokians remains very high. He can talk for hours and his followers never get tired of him.

Dr Suraphong Suebwonglee, a core member of the Thai Rak Thai Group, said its members have agreed to move to PPP to contest the election. Before, Suraphong was considered one of the leading candidates to become head of the new party. But his bones were not steely enough.

Suraphong admitted that the leaders of the Thai Rak Thai Group have approached Samak to head PPP.

"There is a high possibility that he will accept the offer. But there are still several steps to go in forming the party. If he agrees to lead the party, we'll be very pleased. We are forming a new party to become an alternative for the people. We also want a person with charisma and respect to become the pillar of the party," he said.

"Thaksin is also pleased that we are moving to People Power Party. He has also encouraged us to continue to do our jobs."

When Thaksin entered politics for the first time by joining the Palang Dharma Party in the early 1990s, he was considered a rival to Samak, who then headed the Prachakorn Thai Party. Both Palang Dharma, which is now defunct, and Prachakorn Thai had their political base in Bangkok.

When both joined the government of Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who served as prime minister from 1996-1997, they came to knew each other better. After Thaksin became prime minister in 2001 and Samak ran in the gubernatorial election in Bangkok, they enjoyed fairly good relations, although Samak beat out TRT's Sudarat in the election.

Asked whether Samak would cause a popularity slip for PPP if he were to head this new party, Suraphong said he was not worried at all because Samak was a former Bangkok governor and his achievements were well known.

"Some people might not like him, but that is not a problem. If he can work with us, then that will be good enough," he added.

There were also news reports suggesting that Suraphong might become secretary-general of the PPP. But Suraphong said this depends on the decision of the party.

"Now, it is too early to say anything. Personally, I am ready to work for the party," he said.

Sutham Saengprathum, an advisor to the Thai Rak Thai Group, has confirmed that Samak had agreed to join the group. PPP will be relying on its own personnel to turn itself into a political force.

Asked about the credentials of Samak to head PPP, Sutham pointed out that Samak has several decades of political experience behind him. He has a talent for speaking and explaining complicated matters in an easy-to-understand way.

Political Desk

The Nation