Korbsak To Oversee Thai Democrat Campaign After New Year's

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Korbsak to oversee Democrat campaign after New Year's

By The Nation

Korbsak Sabhavasu, the prime minister's secretary-general, will quit his government post on New Year's Day so he can oversee the Democrat Party's election campaign, his boss Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

Abhisit, who is the party's leader, said he did not believe that Korbsak's departure would have any negative impact on the government's performance during the last year of its term.

"There's no problem. The people involved have already talked about this," he said.

When asked about Korbsak's replacement, the prime minister said the appointment would be announced later.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is also the party's secretary-general, said Korbsak would help the election campaign committee get ready for the upcoming national poll as well as raise funds. Suthep, who chairs the panel, said he personally was too busy with his government job to do much for the campaign.

The deputy prime minister also rejected speculation that Korbsak was forced to resign over conflicts with Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij on the government's populist welfare measures or his belief of being slighted by Abhisit.

Suthep said that after the festive season, the Democrat Party would begin preparing for the general election expected to be held next year.

PM's Office Minister Ong-art Klampaiboon also denied that there were any conflicts between Korbsak and Korn, and rejected speculation that Korbsak felt slighted because he was given less work by the prime minister. "I think he had so much work that he did not have enough time to finish it," said Ong-art, who is another key Democrat figure.

He added that though work-related conflicts between colleagues were normal, there were none between Korbsak and any other Cabinet members.

In a related development, the Democrat Party has set up a team of party MPs to advise the government on economic matters, Democrat spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks said yesterday.

The working group has two main tasks - proposing solutions for economic problems and explaining publicly about economic policies and measures regarding economic expansion capability, social inequity reduction and economic stability, Buranaj said.

Democrat MP Sansern Samalapa, a member of the working group, said many of the coalition parties' policy platforms were put into practice in a satisfactory way despite negative factors and risks against the economy.

Atthawit Suwanphakdi, a Democrat MP and panel member, said there was a need for the working group to hold daily news conferences to promote public understanding about the government's economic policies.

-- The Nation 2010-12-25