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It is a test of many factors including government credibility, and whether the government has a proper mandate to rule, and the competence to end the crisis without violence, and with the full compliance and to the full satisfaction of the people.

Who are the people? They are all of us: the permanent stakeholders in this nation who, through ballots cast during elections, allowed politicians to manage the affairs of the state, supposedly for the public interest.

This has just been talk and wishful thinking, while the reality has seen crooked politicians vying to advance their own self-serving interests and amass personal wealth while ignoring the well-being of the people.

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has been holding a protracted protest rally to demand an end to the attempt by government MPs and their sympathisers in the Senate to amend the Constitution.  The proposed amendments are motivated by partisan interests and the desire to help a group of tainted politicians avoid legal troubles and be freed from a ban prohibiting them from political activities for five years.

The demand for the resignation of a brash politician accused of lese majeste charges has been answered, but legal proceedings are still pending. It could still take many months, if not years, before a final court verdict is handed down.

But these issues are just part of the whole political confrontation. The protest rally now demands the resignation of the Samak government, which has been limping along without creditable achievements after four months in office.

Many Cabinet members are still tainted by pending legal cases, while the overall credibility and image of the entire team is far below par in terms of public acceptance as reflected in various public opinion polls.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has flip-flopped in statements and deeds like a person afflicted by mood swings and reckless impulses. More than once, he has chosen to shoot from the hip and ended up shooting himself in the foot

The most damaging such case occurred on Saturday morning, when he stated his intentions to order police and military forces to clear protesters from Rajdamnoen Avenue. Many people imagined that violence would then flare up and blood would spill with an unpredictable outcome.

Those against the government were unfazed but more determined to have a showdown. That same evening, when faced with an even larger rally in response to his comments, Samak made an about-face, unabashedly denying that he meant he was going to order any harsh crackdown.

What little remained of his credibility is no more. He painted himself into a tight corner, so to speak. It took his soulmate, Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who is also a lightning rod in the beleaguered administration, to bail him out with a hard-luck tale.

What are the options left for Samak and the country? As a diehard and stubborn fighter, the ageing politician will plough on, taking no advice. At least in this regard, he is nobody's nominee. To what end remains a matter of conjecture.

Resigning does not exist in Samak's political lexicon and he won't unless forced by certain armsbearing parties in green attire, either through a silent or open coup. Up to this point, he does not care whether party MPs will support him or not as long as he remains prime minister. When his hand is forced and he has no cards left to play, he still holds the final trump card and will decide to go for broke and turn the tables, not caring what comes next.

If he goes down, he can drag everybody else down with him by dissolving the House of Representatives, sending all members packing and out in search of fresh funds to buy their way back into Parliament again.

How would he dislodge or remove protesters from a site with a permanent stage erected rather than a mobile truck? Using police force would lead to a clash and violence, resulting in legal proceedings. The consequences would be unpalatable. That still does not solve the problem, as long as the government remains in power lacking credibility and a savoury image. Political friction and conflicts among different factions would escalate to instability.

A military coup has been condemned all along, though it has in the past been a means to solve political deadlock and remove crooked politicians from office when normal processes have failed. Democratic elections have always resulted in crooks and charlatans spending money to buy power.

We are waiting for somebody with a fancy idea who can come up with an effective means for us to have the right kind of democracy that prevents crooks from buying the votes of the gullible and perpetuating the vicious cycle of gutter politics.

Our system is rotten to the core, a willing victim of big money, isn't it?