Prayut reveals he has back-up plan for poll
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PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha’s New Year resolution is to stage the long-awaited election according to the junta’s “road map to democracy” even if the new charter is rejected in the national referendum.
“If it fails, I have a solution in hand to get the election held as planned, but I cannot reveal it at this juncture,” he said during his weekly press briefing.
Prayut urged the media and the public not to pressure him to take responsibility for a failed referendum. In fact, it’s already his responsibility to find a way out.
“I insist that the government will do what it takes to have a referendum passed see that the election is held,” he said.
The long-term reform plan will be the government’s top priority in the coming year, as it is fundamental to the country moving forward, he said.
Government spending in the next two years will be aligned with the plan.
His regime will still focus on the 37 reform agendas so that the transition to the next government could be smooth.
Issues like tax management, water management, public health, education, energy, research and development, and national resources are the country’s current concerns, he said. They require sustainable solutions stretching 20 years, according to the long-term reform plan.
The country should also focus on security aspects, he said. With global security threats increasing, Thailand needs to learn lessons from the past.
International relations will be key to achieving national security in light of the upcoming Asean Community. The current situation in Myanmar regarding the Thai sentencing of two nationals of that country to death for murder is an example.
They “should not provoke people into not trusting [the Thai] judicial process”, he said.
“It’s normal for our neighbouring country to worry about its own people. We have given [our] response and it’s already done.”
People should “not to be alarmed” about the legal process in the country.
All legislation has to be considered at three levels before enactment, he said. The government is also pushing through laws to improve the social welfare and well-being of low-income earners and the increasing number of elderly in society.
There has been mention of a blanket pardon in the hope of realising reconciliation the country, but he said he would not support amnesty to abort court cases.
“That just can’t be,” he said.
“How many [convicted] people have really been executed? Their punishments are reduced eventually. Punishments can be softened but need to be done.”
Prayut played down scepticism over the somewhat overwhelming survey results regarding the government’s performance, saying they did not show people’s favour in it.
“The survey is already over, so what?
“It does not indicate that more than 99 per cent [of people] love me and the rest do not,” he said.
Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd, government spokesman, said the regime was not overwhelmed by the poll results and it would continue its work as planned.
