'We didn't overlook poor'
Opposition Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva dismissed criticism that during his premiership the Democrat Party had done little to help the poor.
Abhisit was speaking at the party’s seminar in Ubon Ratchathani, attended by 126 party branch chairmen and party members and party heavyweights, such as Chuan Leekpai and Korn Chatikavanij.
Abhisit said the Democrat Party helped the poor by allowing free use of electricity, lowering taxes on farmers with smaller plots of land, and placing the oil price ceiling at not more than Bt30 per litre. In contrast, the Yingluck government was set to scrap several social welfare policies soon, he said.
Abhisit said the Yingluck government added to the financial burden on the public by raising the prices of oil and rice, and charging the poor for electricity use.
Abhisit said he believed the people of Isaan still had faith in the party because its candidates received more than 10,000 votes in many constituencies. The reason the party had fewer MPs in this region was they had too little time to prepare for the election, he said.
