Enough already! Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundarvej has been virtually under siege since taking office. His political opponents charge that he is a proxy for deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and demand his resignation. Mr. Samak has refused to give in and appears increasingly isolated.
The problem for his opponents is that the prime minister was lawfully elected and it is the demonstrators that show no respect for democracy and the rule of law. Their refusal to accept defeat, or to believe in a government untainted by politics, undermines their arguments and does their country a disservice.
Mr. Samak came to power when his coalition prevailed in national elections held in December. Those elections were designed to return the country to civilian rule after a military coup in September 2006 forced Mr. Thaksin from office. The official rationale for the coup was charges of corruption and disrespect for the monarchy — both of which may be true — but the real motivation was fear among Bangkok elites that Mr. Thaksin's populism was undermining a political system that entrenched their status and authority.