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As of now, his fate hangs in the balance. The judgement can swing either way, while protesters against Samak's rule hope for the best, meaning a much-needed solution to the current political stalemate and confrontation.

Samak gave his testimony to the Constitutional Court yesterday, defending himself against the charge that he breached the rule over conflicts of interest, which prevents politicians from engaging in any moonlighting while holding the premiership.

All signs show grim prospects for him to overcome the legal hurdles, despite his insistence that he has done nothing wrong. Samak used verbal gymnastics in trying to convince the judge over the legal interpretation of his status as a cooking show TV host.

Samak was grilled by his accusers with strong evidence, so much so that there was an utterance from the bench that the ageing politician be spared further aggressive questioning.

If found guilty, Samak will end his premiership together with the departure of the entire Cabinet, which is scheduled to have a meeting in Udon Thani this morning amidst cheers from local supporters. Some Cabinet members face serious charges in the criminal courts.

Surely, Samak and his Cabinet members will be nervously biting their nails, anxiously waiting for the verdict. In case of a negative ruling against him, the abrupt end to their rule will be ironic.

Who would have expected the headstrong government leader to succumb to punishment for a petty offence - receiving a fee, or wage, for cooking on television? Tens of thousands of protesters have tried over the last three months to chase Samak out of office, but to no avail.

If he has to leave, it could mean an unexpected political solution to the deadlock. It will not require a coup to dispose of the combative prime minister, while there will be less chance of further bloodshed resulting from armed clashes by pro- and anti-government crowds, as happened earlier this month.

If he survives, Samak can stay on until he is removed by other means. These include another legal judgement, this time by the Court of Appeals, on a libel case, due on September 25, following a two-year jail term given by the Criminal Court.

That case is even more worrisome. Samak intends to seek a delay of the judgement claiming that he will have to attend the UN General Assembly at that time. This is seen as a ploy to avoid the ruling, widely expected to be unchanged.

Even if he can make his way to the UN, he cannot expect a warm reception from Thais in the US who are likely to stage a noisy protest, telling the American public about Samak's tainted past, especially during the October 6, 1976 bloody crackdown on students.

Will he last until that day, given the current degree of adversity and the widespread protests now joined by students nationwide? They will also remind Samak of the dark days back then when their parents fell victim to the repressive rule of civilian dictatorship.

His firm stance not to resign has emboldened anti-government protesters. The private sector is unhappy with the unjustified state of emergency declared last week after a violent clash between opposing demonstrators, leaving one dead and over 30 injured.

The present situation is grim, with the prospect of more violence, because House members in the government camp are instigating supporters to rise and oppose the anti-Samak rallies. Their thirst for blood and their harsh action in return for small fees is depressing.

The police and other law-enforcement agencies continue to turn a blind eye to the unrelenting instigation of mob violence. Legal actions against the brute force employed by the political cronies of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra move ahead at a snail's pace, thus creating dissent and anger among critics of the Samak administration.

The judgement today will dictate the immediate course of the country. A lot of people hope that karma will eventually catch up with Samak after 32 years of his roller-coaster political venture. If he is kicked out, there are even worse days ahead if the fully fledged nominee and puppet of Thaksin takes charge.

Then we will surely go through more days of horror and the heightened risk of ruinous political, economic and social damage. Of course, more big-time corruption is a certainty as well.