Despite crippling explosions and fires in the Democrat nuclear government power plant, spokesmen insist that the nation is in safe hands.

A series of disasters that appear to have come within inches of destroying the highly radioactive core of the Democrat Party were triggered by a political earthquake that exposed fractures in the governing coalition and a related tsunami of corruption. Subsequent mismanagement has only made matters worse and good governance safety regulations have been ignored in a desperate bid to give the appearance that everything is under control.

Although the severe disruption of the power supply for the government to function has only just become visible, experts say that tension has been building up for months if not years and the only real surprise is how long it has taken for the Democrat coalition to rip itself apart.

Some analysts believe there were fundamental design flaws and the construction of the plant by a consortium with known military connections was plagued from the start by substandard components and behind-the-scenes deals. The obvious structural faults in the coalition make-up, according to some critics, were allowed to pass unchallenged because of a questionable relationship with the regulatory powers, who put partisan survival above national safety.

The problems now confronting the Democrat nuclear project are compounded by a sudden shortage of palm oil, a situation thought inconceivable when the coalition was stitched together. Without sufficient supplies at a government-guaranteed price, it is likely that negative public reaction will reach pressures that will push the political Geiger-counter off the scale.

The reasons for this unwarranted shortage are unclear, but fingers are being pointed at high-ranking members of the plant management, some of whom are known to have extensive holdings in the commodity and who are suspected of having engineered the shortage for personal financial gain.

Earlier shortages of sugar fuel persist and also remain unexplained. Without these two nutritionally unhealthy ingredients, it is feared that the political reactions within the ruling core coalition will speed up to the point where runaway inflation blows the entire system into a Chernobyl-style meltdown.

Rumours that the explosions at the Democrat plant have resulted in part of Thai territory being blown away or lost have been pooh-poohed by government sources. ‘It’s still 100% Thai,’ said one minister who wished to remain anonymous, ‘even if it may be contaminated to the extent that no one will want to live there for hundreds of years. Not even Cambodians.’

Government attempts to solve the problems at the plant have largely consisted in trying to spray a steady stream of cash aimed at the hottest parts of the problem. Many think this will not only fail to cool temperatures at the reactor core, but will actually increase inflationary pressures inside the containment vessel and eventually make matters worse.

An opinion poll reading that showed the Democrats trailing badly was quickly disowned by a leading government figure as a statistical error. ‘A sudden 10 point loss is simply unbelievable,’ he said. However, no one would say what the true figure was. Reporters within a 10 km radius of Government House were advised to stay away for their own safety.

Questions have also been raised as to the loyalty of the plant management. There are persistent rumours that the top management of the plant holds dual nationality, which some are blaming for the poor management record. ‘People should recognize that nuclear power is a supreme national asset,’ said a spokesperson for the ultra pro-nuclear Power Against Democracy (PAD). ‘We cannot afford to have foreigners in charge.’

Concern from the international community has increased as it is feared that a political meltdown in Thailand will have repercussions in neighbouring countries. ‘Burma can’t find work for the population it now has,’ notes one foreign diplomat. ‘What will they do when another 2-3 million rush home, fleeing a political conflagration in Thailand?’

So far the Thai government has resisted attempts by the International Political Atomic Energy Agency to send observers to monitor the situation. ‘I don’t respect foreigners’, said the deputy plant manager.

‘That’s OK,’ noted one international official. ‘Foreigners don’t respect him, either.’