LONDON -- The impeachment trial of President Joseph "Erap" Estrada resumed in the Philippines Senate on Jan. 2, with further revelations promised by the prosecution and "even more explosive" evidence promised by the defense. Estrada is accused of bribery, betrayal of public trust, violation of the constitution, and graft and corruption -- and even among his supporters hardly anyone truly believes that he is not guilty.
Yesterday, Thai voters looked ready to give the Thai Rak Thai party of telecom tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra up to 200 of the 500 seats in Parliament. But it's unlikely that Thaksin will ever become prime minister, as he has been indicted by the National Counter-Corruption Commission for concealing his assets.
The Thai approach certainly saves time: You indict the man before electing him to run the country, not afterward. But the corruption problem is no joke in either country, and could sabotage their whole strategy for escaping from poverty. Some even fear that democracy has made the situation worse.