Leftists and pro-democracy people found it really hard to swallow the appointment of Samak Sundaravej, the right-wing, royalist politician, as the 25th Prime Minister.  But those who were most blissful—no, not Thaksin Shinawatra who handpicked Samak himself—were the ‘People’s Alliance for coup D’état’, which resurrected conservative, rightist royalism as the dominant force in Thailand’s politics two years ago.

Pro-democracy activists have only to accept the fact that Samak is the leader of the party that won most seats in the Dec 23, 2007 general election; they acquiesce in letting him take the premiership due to the legitimacy derived from the election, despite his hair-raising acts in the past.

Samak is genuinely a product of rightist, royalist politics.  He might have wrapped up his political career with the Senate, if the People’s Alliance for coup D’état did not don their ‘We fight for the King’ yellow t-shirts to spearhead the overthrow of Thaksin.  Thaksin was portrayed as an archrival to the King, one of the claimed reasons for the coup.

The claim was subsequently proven ridiculous.  Ignoring the junta’s wishes, the public prosecutor did not put Thaksin on trial on this charge.  This hugely reduced the legitimacy of the coup.  However, the ‘yellow fever’ has cast a longer spell than expected, and the people who waved the ‘yellow flag’ have a price to pay when the leader was given a jail sentence by the court, which refused to suspend the sentence, on the grounds of using the monarchy as a tool to slander others for his own political gain; fellow rightists are suspicious of the authenticity of the touted ‘brand name’ product that was put on sale.

With this relentless propaganda, Thaksin had no other choices; he could not choose one of his close aides, such as Dr Surapong Suebwonglee or any of the other former leftists, to take the helm of the newly founded party, despite their potential as rivals to the Democrat Party leader.

He chose Samak, not because the latter was pliable and obedient, but because Samak is the only politician who has most consistently upheld the right-wing, royalist ideology; he has maintained his position for over three decades through thick and thin.  This is the only attribute that Thaksin needs to shield himself from the People’s Alliance for coup D’état, which is now rocking on its heels.  In fact, Thaksin should be among those who fear Samak. It is likely that one day Samak may get spoiled and lose sight of Thaksin in.

You can’t wave ‘yellow flags’ to attack Samak.  Ideologically speaking, Samak and the People’s Alliance for coup D’état speak the same language.  Samak already proved himself in the Oct 6, 1976 massacre, while many still have doubts whether the People’s Alliance for coup D’état are really loyal or just opportunistic.

If the People’s Alliance for coup D’état really mean what they have said for the past two years, they should be proud of Samak’s rise to power.  As a prominent royalist takes the helm, they should know this is their doing.

Apparently, there is no ideological difference between Samak and the People’s Alliance for coup D’état, both being right-wing and royalist.  The year or so after the coup was just a short break that allowed the People’s Alliance for coup D’état to share some of the pie after their long dry spell of starvation during Thaksin’s days in power.

The time out is over.  The armed forces have grabbed a lion’s share of the budget, and the coup makers and the coup-cheering People’s Alliance have all been wined and dined.  Now is the time for them to book seats for the next round of partying under the 2007 charter: the honourably appointed Senate.

The pro-democracy people and leftists who have failed to mutate into rightists, are left with a few wishful thoughts that Samak will perhaps lessen his extreme right-wing stance, and take a little heed of democracy and human rights.

This wishful thinking is perhaps a fantasy; seemingly, apart from Pichit Likitkijsomboon and Kitipum Juthasmith, no one else dares to have such a dream.  At least, however, Samak seems to be expressing his ideas in a less rightist tone.  Since leading the People Power Party, he has been even less rightist than certain columnists who have become politicians.

The task of pro-democracy activists and the (non-mutant) leftists is far from finished.  In fact it has not even started yet.  There is the hope or the assumption that the People Power Party represents the power of democracy; it sounds like it, but it doesn’t.