Abhisit queries 'insensitive' flood party
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has questioned why the government is organising a glitzy party to raise awareness on flood control, seen as being insensitive to the plight of the last year's disaster victims.
“I don’t understand the government’s true intentions on the party,” he said yesterday in reference to the garden party at Government House, scheduled for Friday.
Abhisit said if the government wanted to hold a thank-you party for those involved in the flood relief, then the event should be moderate and without the lavishness.
“I think the planned glitzy celebration would hurt the feelings of a lot of people who were impacted by the government’s mismanagement of the flooding,” he said.
Several victims are still waiting to receive their compensation payments, hence this is not the time for the authorities to be partying, he added.
Commenting on the invitation for chief royal adviser General Prem Tinsulanonda to attend the party, he said he was not worried about the guest list but the justification for the event.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra defended the party as a gesture to boost the confidence in the country to carry out flood control measures.
Yingluck said she invited Prem to preside over the party in order to showcase that all key figures in society were united in supporting the flood-control commitment.
She confirmed Prem had accepted her invitation, confirming the upbeat support for shoring up confidence in the country’s future.
