Pm Urges Cabinet Members To Follow Oaths

PM urges cabinet members to follow oaths

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has urged all the members of his cabinet to follow their oaths in office taken before His Majesty the King earlier this week.

The prime minister said during his weekly radio address from Japan Saturday morning that he would like all the members of his cabinet team to review their oaths everyday as suggested by His Majesty the King.

"I'd like all my colleagues in the cabinet to review the oaths they took before His Majesty the King everyday and to strictly follow the oaths as advised by His Majesty", he said.

The four-point oaths include being loyal to the Thai monarch, being honest, strictly adhering to societal and national benefits, and adhering to and behaving in accordance with the constitution.

When delivering a brief speech to the new cabinet line-up at the Klaikangvol Royal Palace on 14 March, His Majesty the King called for all of them to work sincerely and honestly for the utmost benefits of the Thai people and the nation.

He urged all the cabinet's members to review their oaths everyday and follow their oaths for the sake of the nation's safety and prosperity sustainably.

"If all of you follow your oaths when working for the people and the nation, our country will get through all difficulties to a safe and prosperous position eventually", said the beloved Thai monarch.

"You all will also be proud of yourselves that you do fulfil your oaths", His Majesty the King added.

The beloved Thai monarch also called for the new cabinet to urgently address the current drought crisis, which has hit nearly 70 of the country's 76 provinces so far, affecting more than two million households.

Mr. Thaksin, who is now in Japan for a private trip with his family, pledged that his administration would heed His Majesty the King's suggestion and was taking the matter as its priority task.

"Agencies concerned are working closely and urgently to implement drought relief measures comprehensively, including the launch of artifician rain programmes in the drought-stricken areas as advised by His Majesty the King", the prime minister said.

Mr. Thaksin, however, urged the public to help save water, while requesting farmers to suspend off-season rice harvests to save the water for their consumption during the severe drought currently, reported to be the worst in two decades.

--TNA 2005-03-19