Thailand's Prime Minister says he will not step aside despite on-going protests but will face a no-confidence debate in parliament in the coming week. The prime minister also denies claims by protestors encamped outside the government's main administration building that he is acting on behalf of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, currently facing corruption charges.
泰国总理沙马表示，他不会因为目前的抗议活动而辞职，但这个星期他将面对议会对他的不信任辩论。沙马还反驳了聚集在政府主要行政大楼外面的抗议者有关他是前总理他信的代理人的说法。他信正受到腐败指控。
Thai Prime Minister, Samak Sundaravej, during his weekly address to the nation, said he was willing to face a no-confidence parliament debate this week but is refusing to bow to protester's calls for his resignation.
沙马总理在每周一次的全国讲话中说，他乐于面对议会这星期将举行的不信任辩论，但是他不会向抗议者要求他辞职的压力低头。
Mr. Samak, leader of the People's Power Party, oversees a six party coalition government elected last December. The elections ended 15 months of military rule after a coup in September 2006 ousted former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, now facing corruption charges.
沙马总理是人民力量党的领袖，他现在领导著去年12月选举产生的联合政府。那次选举结束了2006年9月导致前总理他信下台的政变之后泰国实行的军人统治。他信现在正面临腐败指控。
Mr. Thaksin and more than 100 executives from the former Thai Rak Thai Party face five year bans from politics after being charged with fraud during elections in 2006.
他和前泰爱泰党的100多名主要成员被控在2006年的选举中有舞弊行为，5年之内不得参与任何政治活动。
Many former Thai Rak Thai Party members moved to establish the People's Power Party.
许多前泰爱泰党的成员组建了人民力量党。
But Mr. Samak says his government was elected legally and is looking to serve a four year term in office. He also denied he was a proxy for Mr. Thaksin.
但是沙马总理说，他的政府是经合法选举产生的，将做满四年任期。沙马还否认自己是他信的代理人。
Mr. Samak said it still appeared those with ill feelings towards Mr. Thaksin were looking to have him resign as Prime Minister. This, he said, would head the country into an uncertain direction.
沙马说：“看起来，那些对他信不满的人希望我辞去总理职务，但这会使国家走向充满不确定因素的未来。”
The current protests were launched in May by the People's Alliance for Democracy, the PAD; initially calling for a halt to constitutional changes that could have led to the investigations against Mr. Thaksin coming to a halt as well as the lifting of the political bans on the Thai Rak Thai party members.
目前的抗议活动是人民民主联盟5月发起的，抗议者最初要求停止修改宪法，因为修宪的结果可能是中断对他信的调查和解除对前泰爱泰党成员参政的禁令。
Many at the weekend rallies, that drew several thousand protestors, were skeptical that Mr. Thaksin, a billionaire and owner of British premier league soccer team Manchester city, would remain on the sidelines of Thai politics.
数以千计的人参加了周末的抗议活动，很多人对他信是否能置身于泰国政治之外表示怀疑。
At the rally, Pimpagon Rojananin, a fifth year student at Chulalongkorn University, says it will be important for the Thai political landscape that the court cases involving Mr. Thaksin go ahead, so political tensions in the country will be reduced.
泰国朱拉隆攻大学5年级学生宾巴贡说，法庭继续审理涉及他信的案件，从而缓和目前的政治紧张气氛，这对泰国的政治生活非常重要。
"Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after what he has done to our country at least standing in court and facing the sentence. If he is right [innocent] OK he's free but if it's not right he deserves [a punishment] for what he has done," said Pimpagon Rojananin.
他说：“前总理他信在对国家做了这些事之后，至少应当接受审判。如果他是无辜的，好，那他就是自由的，如果他有罪，就应当为自己的所作所为受到惩罚。”
Mr. Thaksin remains a deeply divisive figure in Thai politics drawing his support from rural populations and the poor with populist policies such as low
interest loans and low cost medical care programs.
他信是泰国政坛一位极有争议的人物，他因为推动低息贷款和廉价医保等受欢迎的政策计划而得到农村人口和穷人的支持。
At the same time, the urban middle class have attacked the former prime minister and his supporters over corruption and abuse of power charges.
但与此同时，城市中产阶级却指责这位前总理及其支持者贪污腐败，滥用权力。
Political analysts warn the outlook for the political landscape in Thailand will remain unsettled over the coming months. But the military, which launched a coup in September 2006 against Mr. Thaksin's government, has called for a political resolution to the present conflict, saying it will remain neutral.
政治分析人士警告说，今后几个月，泰国政坛将继续动荡。不过，2006年9月曾发动反他信政府政变的军方表示将保持中立，并呼吁政治解决目前的冲突。 |