The Man They Call 'Gavel Master'; Thai House Speaker

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The man they call 'Gavel Master'

By KORNCHANOK RAKSASERI,

BANCHA KHAENGKHAN

THE NATION

New House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont is not new to the House meeting chairman's seat. This nine-time Khon Kaen MP is a two-time Deputy House Speaker.

Somsak rose to prominence in 1997 when he was elected the deputy House speaker under the New Aspiration Party quota. He introduced the gavel as a tool to intervene and end bickering during House sessions.

That led to him being given the name "Khun Kon" (Gavel Master), which literally means a high ranking officer who uses a gavel. Even today, Somsak is still widely known by that name.

It came as little surprise that Somsak was named for this top post in the Legislative Branch. He has long been a leader of a large group of MPs from the Northeast and was expected to get the House Speaker post after the 2007 election, which saw Samak Sundaravej voted in as prime minister. But Newin Chidchob, who was then still with the People Power Party, had asked former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to give the post to his father Chai.

Somsak was later named Culture Minister.

It was also during the Samak government that Somsak faced conflicts in his Esan Pattana faction. He later defected and set up a new faction of Khun Khon.

After prime minister Samak was found guilty of hosting a cooking show and forced out of office, Somsak got the post of Justice Minister in the Somchai Wongsawat government.

Somsak has been a Pheu Thai Party deputy leader since last year. After dozens of Pheu Thai MPs in his group won the election, and following many trips to see Thaksin in Dubai, it was time that the House Speaker post went to him.

Important tasks await the 57-year-old Somsak as House Speaker. The appointment of Thaksin's sister Yingluck as the prime minister depends on the parliamentary process.

Yingluck cannot be prime minister without her Cabinet's policy declaration to the Parliament.

With Charoen Chankomol and Visuth Chainaroon as his deputies, the well-respected Somsak and the representatives in his group should be able to increase confidence in Yingluck becoming Thailand's first female prime minister and in the smooth setting up of a credible Cabinet.

Charoen, who hails from Chaiyaphum, has been re-elected six times to his House |seat. Born in 1960, he started his political career almost two decades ago under the Chart Thai Party banner. He switched his allegiance to New Aspiration Party, which later merged with Thai Rak Thai Party.

Visuth, born in 1958, is a veteran politician from Phayao. He gained popularity after introducing the cultivation of para rubber in his northern hometown.

He stepped into the limelight in 2009 when he joined the red-shirt rally. He vowed to declare an independent state if the red shirts were suppressed.

-- The Nation 2011-08-03