NRSA savages VP Alongkorn over politician meetings
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Senior National Reform Steering Assembly figure Alongkorn Ponlaboot has been accused by his own colleagues of seeking self-gain after he led NRSA members to hold meetings with politicians and using state funds to create a political network.
NRSA member Seree Suwanpanont took to the House floor during an assembly meeting Monday to launch a stinging attack at Alongkorn, who was previously a Democrat Party politician. Seree questioned Alongkorn’s motives over his meetings with Democrat and Pheu Thai politicians last week.
He also questioned what objectives would have been achieved had Alongkorn, the body’s first vice president, been allowed to lead the NRSA’s third meeting with foreign diplomats to discuss the upcoming referendum on the charter draft.
The gathering had been planned for Monday afternoon but was cancelled by NRSA president Captain Thinnapan Nakata.
Before hearing it was cancelled, Seree said: “I feel the event is a waste of time and bores the diplomats. I do not see the significance of the meeting because we hold such meetings too often. If it is
possible, this event should be cancelled.”
Seree questioned whether the meetings with politicians and the alleged move to establish a political network were aimed at setting up a new political party.
“What is happening is not different from what political parties do, building networks, throwing parties and distributing handouts. This is a vote buying. Is this what the NRSA should do?’’ he said.
He said the National Council for Peace and Order had banned political activities but the assembly carried out political activities in defiance of the ban.
He said Alongkorn’s meetings with two major political parties had caused damage to the assembly because the parties had accused the assembly of failing to implement reforms.
Thinnapan, who chaired Monday’s NRSA meeting, said he had decided to cancel the meeting with foreign diplomats and any future meetings with political parties.
He said he had earlier cancelled a planned seminar in Cha-am.
NRSA member Wanchai Sornsiri said he did not believe that the meeting with politicians had not discussed politics but only national reform. He called on Thinnapan to review his roles and urged him not let his subordinates abuse their positions for political gain.
