Life as a public rose-apple

Despite earlier negative comments, Samak showed he has some fans yesterday. They gathered in front of Parliament and, once they knew the voting result, staged an enthusiastic lion dance and prepared to give Samak bouquets of red roses. (Alas, they were disappointed as Samak's car used the building's side entrance.)

His opponents must have really loved Kom Chad Leuk's political cartoon yesterday. In the three blocks, the characters talk about the good things that the September 19 coup has brought about: the old days of Thai politics when a veteran politician returns to the scene.

Samak was obviously happy to be nominated prime minister. Though a Bangkok governor with the highest vote in history, more than 1 million, and a senator with the second-highest vote nationwide in the 2006 election, he knows that becoming prime minister is the highest honour in his life.

Still, while taking lunch at the Parliament canteen yesterday, he told reporters that from this day on, he would no longer live a happy life. "What will it be like when I go to fresh markets?" said the man who loves to shop for fresh ingredients for his cooking.

Certainly, if happy is equivalent to peaceful, he's right to be leery. On the very day that he was voted prime minister, farmers vowed to pressure him to relieve their debt burden.

Private companies have come up with suggestions about what the PM should do amid internal and external problems that could drag the economy downhill.

Being prime minister, his life will be in the spotlight. Whatever he does and says, he will become instant news.

While people with normal hearing will hear his name day and night, the deaf will also be informed of his activities through sign language. Now when they watch TV, they'll see a translator make the shape of a face and a rose-apple (chompoo in Thai) to represent Samak, whose rose-apple nose is his trademark. (When referring to opposition party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, they draw a face and point at the chin to highlight his handsomeness.)

From this day on, Samak will be in news every day. Hopefully, he'll remain friendly no matter whether he's in a good or a bad mood, though that might be hard for a man his age.

achara_d@nationgroup.com

The Nation