Mounting pressure to clear Thai PM
By Nopporn Wong-Anan
BANGKOK (Reuters): Public pressure is mounting on Thailand's Constitutional Court to clear Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of graft charges and allow him to push ahead with his ambitious -- and popular -- policy program.
The 14-judge court is due to decide by July or August whether to uphold a ruling by the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) that Thaksin failed to declare some of his wealth when he was a deputy premier in the 1990s.
Thaksin denies wrongdoing, but if the court rules against him he would be banned from politics for five years.
The Constitutional Court has said its verdict will not be influenced by support for Thaksin, who won a landslide victory in a January general election despite the NCCC indictment.
Opinion polls suggest he remains popular.
"We'll do our best and no outside forces can influence our verdict," Constitutional Court President Prasert Nasakul said.
But analysts say it will be difficult for the court to ignore the mounting pressure.
Thaksin swept to power with promises of a host of populist policies, and opinion polls suggest many Thais want him to be given more time to deliver on his pledges.
"Many Thais were desperate for heroes during the economic recession," said radio show host Prachathai Thananarong.
"So when Thaksin pledged to offer them various populist projects -- namely village funds, debt suspension and universal cheap healthcare -- they wholeheartedly supported him, no matter what the costs of those projects are."
Thaksin's policies have not only caught the imagination of the poor; Several leading academics are also calling for him to be cleared and are telling the media to stop focusing so much on the case.
"The media have been over-reporting Thaksin's court case, especially the foreign media, which always say the prime minister is being tainted by a corruption case," said Prawes Wasi, a respected social commentator.
Another widely respected figure, former health minister Sem Pringpuangkaew, has called upon voters nationwide to send letters to parliament expressing their support for Thaksin.
"It is time for Thais in all walks of life to express our will to break the country's deadlock by voicing support for Thaksin's continued leadership," Sem said.
Such campaigns have drawn criticism from some lawmakers who say they could unduly influence the court.
"If they can raise millions of supporting letters for Thaksin, it will become a compelling public opinion that the court can't ignore," said Panas Tassaneeyanont, a member of the upper house of parliament.
The Constitutional Court's Prasert has described Sem's campaign as "frivolous" and a "distraction", saying the court's verdict had to be based on the law, not popular opinion.
Early hearings in the case went against Thaksin, analysts say, but in recent sessions the courtroom tussles seemed to move in his favor.
He scored a victory last week when the Department of Revenue, overseen by a minister from his Thai Rak Thai Party, declared that Thaksin and his wife Potjaman did not commit any tax evasion by transferring assets to nominees.
The NCCC says Thaksin transferred billions of baht in shares to family members and domestic staff -- including maids, a chauffeur and a security guard -- to evade tax and conceal illegal stock price manipulation.
Stocks climbed last week as the market speculated that Thaksin was now more likely to be cleared, although the market sank this week after the government fired respected central bank governor Chatu Mongol Sonakul after a row over interest rates.
An opinion poll released on Thursday by the Bangkok Research Center said 64 percent of 1,317 Bangkok residents questioned believed Thaksin would be cleared, while 18.8 percent expected the court to rule against him. The remainder offered no opinion.