Coalition MPs must block Samak

The move would not only provoke more political trouble from his opponents, but it would also be tantamount to a snub of the court's decision. On Wednesday, a group of legal lecturers issued a statement saying that such a move would run against the intent of the Constitution. Although the court did not rule out the possibility of a reappointment, doing so would challenge the sanctity of the law. The legal experts said that while politicians may try to use legal loopholes for their own benefit, they should base their decisions on ethics and morality and their actions should set a standard for society.

The court did not disqualify Samak only because he violated an article in the Constitution prohibiting a Cabinet member from receiving payment from a private a company, which could lead to questions over a conflict of interest. There were other incidents that showed Samak's integrity could have been compromised. An executive of a producer of soybean sauce, and also one of the sponsors of Samak's cooking programme, was named to the board of Thai Airways. The court also condemned Samak for fabricating a backdated document to beef up his defence.

Some international critics may dismiss the Thai court's ruling, asking what the big fuss is over Samak hosting a television cooking show But Thais agree that Samak is capable of causing more damage to society if he's allowed to return to power.

Thammasat University rector Surapol Nitikraipoj also issued a statement explaining that Samak's return would cause more damage. "It would not only be a slap in the face of the Constitution Court, but also reject the existence of ethics," he said. Surapol said that not only would the political situation worsen and become riskier, the reappointment would reaffirm the claim that over the past seven months Thailand's ethical and moral standards have been under threat. He said that it would set a bad example for young people.

We just hope that even though People Power Party executives have decided to endorse Samak again each member of the other coalition parties will show the public that they are capable of exercising their judgement wisely to serve the country. After all, their decisions will be watched by their constituents, and the people who vote for them can't expect less from their politicians.