We need to cooperate and avoid conflict, Prayut says
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PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday stressed the need for different groups to cooperate and avoid conflict in order to move the country forward.
“Anything can be achieved if we cooperate. Don’t contest each other and avoid resorting to conflict, then everything will work out,” he said.
“The same thing goes with reform. If people are still arguing and think that their opinions are the best and must be the way, then we will not be able to do anything.”
Prayut said “nothing will move forward” if conflicts remain, which would lead to a lack of confidence among investors and tarnish the country’s ability to compete.
“The Thai people are a nation that loves peacefulness and tranquillity,” he said. “Do we really want to change Thai people into a nation of conflict, with quarrels and fighting all the time? I don’t think so.”
The PM was speaking on his weekly “Returning Happiness to People in the Country” TV programme last night.
He reiterated that his government would continue to follow its roadmap for a return to democracy.
“We have always followed the country’s roadmap, especially the reform plan that will co-exist with the roadmap until the year 2017,” he said.
The prime minister noted that his government would announce its annual progress report next week and he called for public cooperation for projects being implemented by his administration.
“During the remaining two weeks of 2015, I would like the public to take note of the government’s annual progress report which will be announced on December 23-25. We made such an announcement before and the upcoming one will be about our second year performance,” Prayut said.
“We will inform you of past achievements as well as future plans – all of which are very crucial for the country. You will be able to understand the true problems of our nation and the solutions the government is implementing to handle them. Several matters require public cooperation under the concept of ‘state of the people’,” he added.
The prime minister said that four mass transit projects were under construction.
The first one – the Mass Rapid Transit Authority’s extension of the underground Purple Line – is slated to be open for service in August 2016. And the three other MRTA projects – the Blue Line and the South and North Green Lines – |are slated to open for service in |2020.
The East Orange Line, which is being proposed to the Cabinet, would be opened in 2020.
The government was focused on tackling the problem of traffic congestion, Prayut said.
“Despite the existence of electric rail, [the lack of] parking spaces remains a common problem,” he said.
“I have tasked responsible agencies to search for suitable locations for the construction of car parking garages which should be close enough to places where people go, such as department stores.
“If all drivers park their vehicles in front of the buildings where their businesses are, there will be worse traffic congestion.”
