The Leader of People's Power Party
On 29 July 2007, some former members of the Thai Rak Thai Party MPs agreed to contest the 2007 election as candidates of the People's Power Party. This was after the Thai Rak Thai Party was dissolved by the Thai Supreme Court on 30 May 2007 and followed the ban on participating in politics for many former TRT party politicians, such as Newin Chidchob, Buriram and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Many other former TRT members have also formed their own parties, such as the Ruam Jai Thai and Puea Pandin parties.
Samak Sundaravej and former TRT Cabinet Minister Surapong Suebwonglee were elected People's Power Party leader and secretary general respectively on 24 August 2007. It was, also, widely known that Thaksin chose him to be the new head of his former party's members.
On 23 December 2007 General Election the PPP won 228 seats, sufficient to win the election ahead of the Democrat Party but short of the 241 seats needed for a majority of the 480-seat house. He was able to form a six-party coalition, however, gaining a parliamentary majority of about two-thirds.
In a parliamentary vote on 28 January 2008, Samak was elected Prime Minister, receiving 310 votes against 163 for Abhisit Vejjejava of the Democrat Party. He was endorsed as Prime Minister by the king on the next day. On 6 February, his Cabinet, including himself as Minister of Defense, was endorsed by the king and sworn in. Samak angrily insisted he was the country's real leader on 29 February 2008 despite the triumphant return from exile of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the man considered the driving force behind the new government.
Samak Sundaravej ended his campaign to regain his position on 12 September 2008. Mr Samak's decision was revealed on 11 September by Theerapol Nopparampa, his close aide, after he spent about 50 minutes meeting Mr Samak at his home and he told AP that Samak told him to tell "every reporter that he is going to step down from being the party leader and he will not accept the prime ministership." The ruling People's Power Party said earlier it was abandoning its bid to install Samak back in power. The announcements raise hopes of ending a political crisis buffeting the country. Leaders of the People Power Party had said since Tuesday that they would seek to restore Samak, but they need to convince five other parties in the coalition to go along with that choice. Some lawmakers have indicated they will propose an alternate candidate.
Read more about this topic: Samak Sundaravej
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