Corruption today 'unprecedented', says Abhisit
A whopping Bt235 billion could be spent on four mass-transit routes, or 2,000 hospitals, or a million teachers instead of being wasted in kickbacks, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Monday.
The opposition leader said the government had committed double mistakes – neglecting to root out corruption and focusing on self-serving goals rather than the people’s grievances.
“In the next two months, the Democrats will carry out an awareness campaign to point out the administrative flaws,” he said.
Contrary to the government’s propaganda, the economy has contracted for two consecutive quarters, he said, emphasising this was the first time the country had suffered such a decline when not facing an international crisis.
A main factor contributing to the weakening economy is wasteful spending plans, such as the rice-pledging scheme, which served vested interests, he said.
Despite rampant corruption allegations, the government still tries to bypass public scrutiny, he said, citing the Bt2-trillion loan bill as a case in point of avoiding checks through regular budgetary spending.
From today to October 28, the Democrats will fan out to alert the public about alleged graft violations. They also plan to offer alternative plans designed for sustainable development.
The Democrat leader said he wanted rice farmers to be aware that they were just small recipients of the massive spending to shore up paddy prices.
Farming livelihoods would further improve if ill-gotten gains were to be channelled back to the farmers, he said.
