Apirak Steps Down As Bangkok Governor

[Tony Clifton]

Chalerm today said that Apirak need his approval in order to step aside.

When asked if he would approve, Chalerm refused to comment.

So, if you don't think and act like the criminals that we are in the PPP, we will not cooperate with you, especially if we risk losing face.

Incompetent circus clowns.

[sriracha john]

Does this mean the Prime Minister, who is involved in the exact same criminal investigation, will also step down from his position in the way that the House Speaker, who's involved in a different case, also stepped down from his position?

No.

Hmmm.....ok then...... but how about the Deputy Prime Minister / Finance Minister, the Labor Minister, and the Deputy Transport Minister, who are all also facing an AEC criminal investigation? Will they step down from their positions???

A Senator is wondering the same thing...

Senator in legal threat to Cabinet trio and PM

A senator yesterday threatened to file a suit in the Constitution Court against three Cabinet members who have refused to suspend themselves from duty after an anti-graft panel filed charges against them.

Somchai Sawaengkarn also warned Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to suspend himself from duty once the court agrees to conduct a judicial review against him over the fire-truck purchase scandal.

Somchai was referring to Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong and Deputy Transport Minister Anurak Jureemas.

Last week, the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court against the three, along with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and 43 other members of his Cabinet, for abuse of power and graft in their decision to introduce the two-and-three-digit lotteries in 2003.

The government refused to suspend the three ministers from duty, arguing their alleged crime had nothing to do with their current duties.

Somchai said he and other senators might seek a ruling from the Constitution Court if the three were not suspended from duty after the Supreme Court decides to go ahead with the case.

Somchai also warned Samak, a former Bangkok governor, to suspend himself from duty if the AEC files a suit against him over alleged corruption in the purchase of fire trucks and boats by the city administration.

Somchai commended Bangkok Governor Apirak for suspending himself from duty once the AEC decided to conduct a corruption investigation against him along with Samak and other officials last week.

Samak yesterday slammed Apirak as being "pretentious" over his decision to stop functioning as the Bangkok governor, and said he would not follow Apirak's example.

Samak said if he suspended himself from duty, it would lead to turmoil because the entire government would be voided.

"If I am pretentious and dance to his tune, what will happen? If the government leader stops working, the entire Cabinet must stop and must be changed. Won't it lead to turmoil?" Samak said. *did you think of that before contending for the position???*

- The Nation

[steveromagnino]

gosh steve, no need to be so defensive, i had nothing but the handsomest prasies for the governator. just like him, his policies always have a nice appearance. i know how difficult it is. by the way, why is Rama III only getting a BRT and not the BTS? i heard a total of 0 (zero) tenders were received to construct the BRT system, thats why its been delayed, wassup with that, is Apirak refusing to share the love? as for the "bangkok city of life" murals painted under the skytrain tracks, i'm sure thousands of awe-struck tourists are quietly marvelling at the cool, fast-paced and progressive city they have found themselves in.

I agree on the murals and ads..... although that is in fact part of the efforts he has been doing in bypassing the TAT (which under TRT used to focus away from Bkk and towards the island resort areas to help support various provincial businesses) have required marketing Bangkok directly.

AFAIK the delays on BTS and BRT rested entirely with a block from the ministry of finance when there was the attempt to rejig BTS ownership...once removed the construction could commence as there was an actual source of financing. With regards to tenders, as you well know from the Seimons/Mitsubishi dabarcle (I think those were the two main suppliers who bid against eachother for the underground) it took a large payment from Seimons to get teh resolution everyone wanted and considerable rejigging of the system (which was why it ran late) simply so the rulers in power at the time could get their cut. The influence of people like How Come Entertainment coming in and taking over advertising etc was so rediculously nontransparent (and breached a fair chunk of contract law) but ah well, that is how business gets done here sometimes. Can understand why tenders would or would not be put forward; I DO know that the whole system is targeted to be complete by July and I've seen pictures and details of the stations etc - property developer client is looking at the sytem developed closely - so I assume it is all on the way now.

The BRT incidentally costs something like 1/5 of the cost of the BTS and is faster to implement. The budget for BTS extensions is tapped out already.

Just like Thaksin I look at the potential of the guy and the output, and there is a pretty large gap between the two.

But I have less fond memories of Samak as governor than the current guy.

[Tony Clifton]

There was a demonstration with people holding uniformly made signs protesting Apirak's stepping down.

You could say it was well organized. Bravo Chalerm, a new low.