Activists dare NCPO to hold poll on Prawit’s popularity

ANTI-CORRUPTION activists have urged the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to conduct a survey to find out whether embattled Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan still enjoys public support after his high-profile watch scandal.
After almost two months of criticism and scandal plaguing Prawit over his possession of a large number of luxury watches, Prawit on Wednesday said he would quit if the people did not want him in office anymore.
In response, anti-graft activist Veera Somkwamkid asked whether the junta “had the guts” to hold such a poll. If not, it could still learn from all the polls that were being conducted by people online, he said. 
“It would be even better if the NCPO did their own poll regarding whether or not people want General Prawit to leave. Do their own survey, so they can’t say that all the polls online are not credible or fake,” Veera told The Nation. 
In response to Prawit’s announcement, many people have been conducting polls online to gauge the public’s opinion about whether they wanted him to remain in the Cabinet.
A campaign on change.org has been launched and more than 18,000 people have agreed that Prawit should resign. A Facebook survey by the state-funded station Thai PBS also found more than 90 per cent of 70,000 respondents wanted Prawit to leave.
Veera added that all the Internet polls in which people were voting in yesterday pointed to the same conclusion that Prawit should leave.
Srisuwan Janya, another anti-corruption activist pressuring Prawit and the government on the issue, said the government could use the Damrongtham centres, which were set up to receive complaints and used by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to solicit public opinions, to conduct the poll.
“People could voice their opinions if they want General Prawit to resign,” Srisuwan said.
Earlier this week, National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) poll director Arnond Sakworawich stepped down in protest after the suppression of a survey concerning Prawit’s possession of luxury watches. 
The poll, reportedly titled “The luxurious watches were borrowed: Just distortion or the reality?” found that 85 per cent of respondents did not believe Prawit’s claims that he had borrowed the expensive wristwatches from friends.
Both Srisuwan and Veera have lodged complaints with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) calling for it to determine whether Prawit had concealed his assets or was unusually rich after he was seen wearing different luxury watches that appeared to cost tens of millions of baht. 
Prawit declared assets of about Bt83 million to the NACC when he joined Prayut’s government in 2014, but failed to declare the watches he was seen wearing late last year. 
The deputy premier told the anti-graft agency that friends had lent him the watches, although the explanation was widely criticised by regime critics and the public. 
At present, it appears that the anti-graft body will accept the excuse, which would mean that Prawit was not obligated to declare the watches as required by the law for people who hold positions in government.

Investigation ‘must continue’
Veera said that even if Prawit resigns from the Cabinet, the issue would not end there. The NACC would still have to proceed with the investigation and determine whether he was guilty of wrongdoing, he added.
Resignation was the bare minimum Prawit could do to take responsibility, Veera said, but it should not affect the investigation.
Srisuwan said Prawit should quit to show strength of spirit, adding that the scandal would then fade to the benefit of the government’s image.
Gothom Arya, a democracy advocate, also agreed that even if Prawit resigns, legal proceedings should continue, and if he is found guilty, he should face punishment.
Meanwhile, just one day after Prawit’s pledge, the general received support from a group of people visiting from the provinces.
Forty people said to have come from various provinces showed up in front of the Defence Ministry yesterday and were welcomed by General Rungroj Chamrasromerun, Prawit’s vice minister. 
Prawit was working and could not greet the group himself, but he passed on his thanks to the supporters, Rungroj said. 
Veera called for the police to press charges against the group for violating the ban on political activities.
Veera said he would wait until tomorrow to see whether police would take action. If not, he said he would file a complaint against Pol General Srivara Rangsibrahma-nakul, deputy police chief, for negligence of duty.
Later yesterday, Srivara said police would consider whether those people showing up outside the Defence Ministry in support of General Prawit had violated the junta ban on political gatherings or the Public Rally Act.
“If any wrongdoing was committed, police will have to take legal action,” he said.