Even Chuan says he has a 'heavy heart'

When Chuan Leekpai, the Democrat Party's chief adviser, says he has a "heavy heart" in getting his party through the legal battle over the proposed dissolution of his party, there are grounds for even the most optimistic observers to take note.

The Public Prosecutors say they have wrapped up the case against the country's oldest political party and will recommend this afternoon to the Constitutional Court to dissolve the party and ban its over 40 executives who held positions in 2004 and 2005 from politics for five years.

This is related to the allegation that the party received illicit donations worth 258 million baht from TPI Polene Plc, a cement giant that belongs to Prachai Leophairatana in 2005.

The case against the Democrats states that the donations had been made through disguised transactions. If that charge is proved right, the party could be in violation of Section 95 of the 2007 Political Parties Act.

Chuan doesn't usually show any anxiety in public when it comes to the future of his own party. But he has said so several times in the past week and disclosed that he will meet PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, the party's leader, to discuss how to consolidate his legal staff to fight the case.

Is there a "Plan B" for the Democrats in case the "worst-case scenario" should come to pass? Officially, Chuan, Abhisit and even the party's secretary-general, Suthep Thuagsuban, deny it. But when news leaked yesterday that a back-up party, known as "Thai Khemkhang" (Thai Strength), has been registered as a possible reserve, the party's leaders say they have nothing to do with it.

I don't believe, for a moment, of course, that there is no Plan B. But I do know that splits without the party are beginning to emerge. And, if the Constitutional Court hands down a negative verdict, you can expect factions within the party to go different ways.

The Democrats are standing at a crucial crossroads. There is no doubt about that.

Siam Twins don't promise a miracle

They call themselves Thailand's political "Siam Twins" and they certainly realize that expectations are high for them to produce a miracle of a national reform "action plan."

But Anand Panyarachun and Prawase Wasi are realistic enough to know that it's easier said than done. That's why Anand has made it known that the success of the mission to reform Thailand won't rest with the two Siam Twins or the 46 other committee members of the two commissions (one is called the Reform Thailand Committee and the other is known as the Reform Assembly).

"It's going to require the contribution from everybody in the country," Anand declared.

The fact that both have been able to recruit some of the country's best-known intellectuals and activists are already a small miracle itself. But the real test will be when they submit their full report at the end of their three-year tenure.

By then, nobody is quite sure who's the prime minister to preside over the ceremony to accept the Action Plan.

A tall order: In search of truth, not a witch-hunt

Kanit na Nakhon, chairmn of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), admits: "It's the toughest assignment in my life."

The 9-member TRC insists that they are seeking answers to questions over the country's problemsof divisiveness. It's not a "witch-hunt." And, according to a leading member of the commission: "We aren't here to judge who's right and who's wrong."

The commission will have a two-year term and will file an official report to the Cabinet every six months.

"We will be neutral, transparent and diverse. We are here to restore peace, not conduct a witch-hunt," vowed Kanit.

The other 8 members of the commission: from left, top, Kittipong Kittayarak: Permanent Secretary for Justice; Jutharat Ua-amnoey: Chulalongorn's Political Science Faculty; Decha Sungkawan, Dean of Thammasat's Faculty of Social Administration; Phairoj Polpetch: Secretary of People's Rights Protection Association; Manich Sooksomchitra, Thai Rath's senior editor; Ronnachai Kongsakon: Associate dean of Ramathibodi Hospital's Faculty of Medicine; Somchai Homlaor: Chairman of Human Rights Law Society and Surasak Likasitwatanakul: Dean, Thammasat's Faculty of Law.

That's as diversified as you could get. But then, whatever the formation, criticism will surely come from some quarters. The only yardstick will be how the public judges its performance once the real final report is made public.

World Cup or not, football politics is all the rage here

Football has become a political gimmick for leading Thai politicians, at both the local and national levels.

Local football clubs have been taken over by leading politicians and it has been said that "football fields" and "election campaign arenas" have become more or less the same thing.

In other words, politicians have taken to using football matches as their "vote-getting tools." Soccer has become a "brand-building" gimmick. But in the end, it's money that counts.

Kasit's election road map: Is it the same as the PM's?

Foreign Minister Kasit Biromya's time frame leading to an election and a new government sounds more definite than anything that Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva has told the Thai people. Is this Kasit's own calculation? Or is it the grand plan that has yet to be told to the Thai people?

Go to http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/index.php to get the full story.

Mark-Newin = Marx-Lenin？It's not funny. It's hilarious

I am not sure how "Mark" and "Newin" become "Marx-Lenin" with "Suthep Mao" thrown in for good measure. But the cover picture of Manager Weekly did make me laugh this Sunday morning.

The cover story has nothing really to do with political ideology, though. It's a piece highly critical of the fact that PM Abhisit Vejjajiva (nicknamed "Mark") has allowed his coalition partner Newin Chidchob (his first name probably rhymes with "Lenin") to have his own way on many a questionable policy matter. Deputy PM Suthep Thuagsuban, according to this article, is closed allied with Newin and the two have been colluding on a number of unsavoury activities while Abhisit, while playing up the image of "Mr Clean," has deliberately turned a blind eye to all those alleged undesirable actions.

Would Marx turn in his grave?

Now, Col Sansern in on fashion magazine cover!

He might have asked himself the same question that some of us have posed: How did I get from being a military spokesman to become a cover figure in a social magazine?

Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the CRES, was talking tough on TV throughout the crisis as battles raged on during April-May. His wit and straight-talking skills perhaps won him the "heart-throb" label. And once he got to be known as a "star," there was no stopping him. First, the political magazines put him on the cover. Now, fashion and women publications want to "sell" him as perhaps the most popular military officer in the news these days.

Before he is attracted to TV's game shows and movie offers, perhaps the young army officer may want to remind himself that he is after all, as he put it the other day, "just somebody assigned to do a job in a difficult time."