A wish list for PM

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A wish-list for PM

Published on January 01, 2006 The Nation

 

At the close of what Government House reporters have called a year of ?distress for the populace?, The Nation?s Political Desk has conducted an informal survey asking Thais to make one political wish for 2006. Surprisingly, nobody wanted cheap loans, a free taxi cab or an Ua Athorn house. They said they didn?t want much, except to see Premier Thaksin Shinawatra do the following:

 

1. Cure himself of his negative attitude towards ordinary people, and notably his opponents. If not for his own good at least for the sake of the country?s image, as the prime minister of a civilised nation shouldn?t swear at his own people.

 

2. Sell the Shinawatra family?s 38-per-cent controlling stake, worth about US$1.5 billion (Bt61.35 billion), in Shin Corp Plc. This is to avoid making people in the street jealous of the first family, which will otherwise remain the wealthiest in the stock market in 2006. And if there?s a ?political accident? which brings Thaksin?s tenure to an abrupt and disastrous end, his assets will be less of a worrisome issue if his family has sold off its shares.

 

3. Scrap all privatisation plans. Although privatisation is good in principle, people doubt the government?s motives and don?t want to see a sequel to the PTT Plc scandal, in which many of the shares fell into the hands of politically connected investors.

 

4. Restore Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka to the post of auditor-general. Although Thaksin has argued that the 18-month impasse has nothing to do with him, he is capable of ending the stalemate. Wish-makers believe the country now desperately needs a graft-buster.

 

5. Clean up all corruption in the government by getting tough and scrutinising all graft scandals without waiting for evidence. Sack ministers involved in such scandals or suspend those suspected of being involved. Those surveyed said this would be a ?piece of cake? for Thaksin if he really wanted to do it, especially with information from the imminent anti-corruption website to be created by Jaruvan and former graft-fighter Klanarong Chantik to support the government?s pledge to combat corruption.

 

6. Remove ministers known to be close to the premier?s wife, Pojaman Shinawatra. Two Cabinet members who should be immediately shown the door are Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook and Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana, who have come up with wacky ideas ? all of them ridiculous.

 

7. Withdraw Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai?s bid to be the next UN secretary-general. The campaign could be financially costly and the result politically humiliating. ?I know what he did two summers ago in front of the UN secretary-general?s official residence,? said one wish-maker, in reference to Surakiart?s snooping around Kofi Annan?s home.

 

8. Use the government?s official aircraft, dubbed ?Thai Air Force One?, only for official purposes. Use of the aircraft by private individuals or the premier?s family should be banned, what with the oil price continually rising and the high cost of maintenance.

 

9. Unlock the ?90-day rule?, which blocks lawmakers from switching parties, without amending the Constitution. Some of those surveyed want Thaksin to let MPs, who want to flee the Thai Rak Thai Party, find other parties and hold on to their MP status. But the PM must keep his word by not dissolving the House in under 90 days.

 

10. Leave the 200 senators due to be elected in March free from politics. Wish-makers said they were sick of many of the outgoing senators, some of whom have been dubbed the government?s ?rubber stamp?. And there?s a warning here: if Thaksin brings pro-government senators into his party when their six-year term is up as a reward for their collusion, the crisis of faith will worsen. After all, these people have caused enough trouble as it is.