Thai Democrat Party Sets Up Call Center To Monitor Govt Irregularities

[webfact]

Call center to monitor govt irregularities

ATAPOOM ONGKULNA

THE NATION

The Democrat Party has set up a call centre to monitor complaints related to the government's paddy price intervention scheme in a move to uncover irregularities.

"Complaints lodged via the call centre will be compiled and resolved in due course," Democrat MP Warong Dechgitvikrom said yesterday.

Following its weekly Shadow Cabinet meeting, the main opposition party decided to launch a check into the government's scheme to prop up the price of paddy.

Warong said the party suspected that three types of irregularities could arise from the scheme - the false pledging of paddy; farmers being deprived of getting the full payment of Bt15,000 per tonne of paddy; and the failure to cover all the paddy that is pledged.

Aside from this scheme, the opposition will also monitor the government's performance on a number of other issues, including the alleged interference in the management of state-run MCOT, which operates Channel 9, Democrat MP Thepthai Senapong said.

He added that the opposition would seek to impeach PM's Office Minister Kritsana Seehalak and Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala if evidence points to them meddling in MCOT, which is an offence under Article 270 of the Constitution.

The opposition's legal team is reviewing a memorandum Kritsana sent to Thirachai voicing objection to MCOT's planned restructuring, he said. Should the memorandum be seen as interference in the freedom of media, the two would be targeted for impeachment, he said. Kritsana is in charge of media affairs, while Thirachai oversees state enterprises.

Another issue the opposition is looking into is the government's first-home policy. Democrat MP Sansern Samalapa said the scheme had turned out to be half-baked, fuelling confusion and eventually short-changing first-time homebuyers.

The government has been adjusting this policy for the past two weeks, and it eventually came up with a version that disappointed both sellers and buyers, he said.

The three-year grace period for homes worth less than Bt1 million would not stimulate the economy as expected because 60 per cent of home transactions were worth between Bt1 million and Bt3 million, he said.

Also, the tax deduction allowances for first-time homebuyers were not attractive enough, he added. For example, a Bt50,000 income-tax deduction for a first-time buyer of a Bt3 million home was a barely marginal incentive.

The government has failed to deliver its campaign promises to first-home buyers such as offering them a five-year grace period and waiving transfer and mortgage charges, he said.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the cost of the first-car policy was equivalent to the amount spent on subsidising free bus and train services for the poor for seven years.

He added that this government appeared to have its priorities mixed up, adding that measures helping buyers of Bt3-million homes were implemented ahead of those buying homes for less than Bt1 million. Regarding the civil-service line-up, he said that making General Wichean Potephosree secretary-general of the National Security Council would cause problems.

The government had no justification in transferring Thawil Pliensri out of the NSC to pave the way for Wichean, he said, adding that if the Merit System Protection Commission rules that Thawil be reinstated, the government would have difficulty in finding a new job for Wichean.

-- The Nation 2011-10-06

[timekeeper]

it will need to be 24/7 to deal with all the complaints

maybe they should have a hotline to Dubai so the Pm can deal with it himself........

[pisico]

Great Idea!

Why Democrats did not do that while in power?

Many irregularities were silenced then as they are now.

[ralphlsasser]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

[whybother]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Stir up trouble? Isn't the main aim of an opposition party to try and unseat the current government?

[whybother]

Great Idea!

Why Democrats did not do that while in power?

Many irregularities were silenced then as they are now.

Wouldn't that have been the job of the opposition party?

Edited October 6, 2011 by whybother

[MunterHunter]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Stir up trouble? Isn't the main aim of an opposition party to try and unseat the current government?

It is certainly what the Reds/PTP did whilst the Dems held office...

but as with many things, they call against double standards, until it suits them then all of a sudden its a cry for "Sour grapes, they cant stand the fact they didnt win. Wah Wah!!"

[OzMick]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Another Chiang Mai democracy lover - who doesn't understand the function of an opposition, let alone a government. Yay, red democracy !

[scotbeve]

Great Idea!

Why Democrats did not do that while in power?

Many irregularities were silenced then as they are now.

Touche and too true!!!

[OzMick]

Great Idea!

Why Democrats did not do that while in power?

Many irregularities were silenced then as they are now.

Touche and too true!!!

Actually, the question should have been "Why didn't PTP do that while the Democrats were in power?"

The answer of course is that they didn't want to be an opposition, they wanted to be a government, even if it took an armed insurrection.

[Deez]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Its called doing thier job. Perhaps you would prefer they look the other way and allow the farmers to get screwed. Wake up dude. Any step to help minimise corruption is a positive thing

[ralphlsasser]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Stir up trouble? Isn't the main aim of an opposition party to try and unseat the current government?

well....yeah. same same

[ralphlsasser]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Its called doing thier job. Perhaps you would prefer they look the other way and allow the farmers to get screwed. Wake up dude. Any step to help minimise corruption is a positive thing

Saying the democrats are trying to minimise corruption is like letting the fox guard the hen house. Wake up dude.

[scotbeve]

Great Idea!

Why Democrats did not do that while in power?

Many irregularities were silenced then as they are now.

Touche and too true!!!

Actually, the question should have been "Why didn't PTP do that while the Democrats were in power?"

The answer of course is that they didn't want to be an opposition, they wanted to be a government, even if it took an armed insurrection.

Because... they were gagged!!! :D

[steveromagnino]

Actually, the question should have been "Why didn't PTP do that while the Democrats were in power?"

The answer of course is that they didn't want to be an opposition, they wanted to be a government, even if it took an armed insurrection.

Because... they were gagged!!! :D

It is arguable whether PT ever bothered to actually be part of a functional democracy as an opposition.

They didn't seem to have a problem with UDD broadcasting doctored tapes of Abhisit; allowing a convicted fugitive to phone in to UDD/PT events; watching UDD taking an executive of ThaiComm to secure rights to broadcast their propaganda; storming Royal Cliff; supporting and appearing in gatherings at Ratchaprasong....and for all that PT had their media partners/backers like Channel 3, 7 and Thai Raht supporting them every step of the way plus a wide network of their own media streams....even their own 1/2 a page every Friday in an english language newspaper.

PT didn't want to play any part in the proposed constitutional reform nor debate or discuss/debate policy.

Problem wasn't that they were gagged.

Problem is they have no idea how to say something in a democratic way because their chief instigator and speaker was busy over in Dubai/wherever NOT being part of the political protests at that time and NOT encouraging anything that might be anti-democratic, and subsequently has NOT had any part of a role in the current government especially NOT being part of Peua Thai campaigning as a banned political figure.

Thaksin Thinks (maybe).

Peua Thai Doesn't.

If you look at what they are intending to do at Channel 11, never before (well not since Jakapop Penkair tried and failed to completely take over Channel 11 prior to getting caught out for what he said then tried to lie about at the FCC regarding a non discussable subject) has that TV station been so blatantly fiddled to be a political onesided hot air generator.

If only that hot air could be used to float the empty promises to date:

- tablet PCs

- flood elimination

- minimum wage

- farmers credit cards

- first car discounts for the poor

- first home discounts for the poor

We would really be getting somewhere. Mind you, I guess it is taking a lot of time to stack all the faithful UDD/PT/Shinwatra family members into various positions and that's more important than political promises; I for one don't know how the country could run without one of Chalerm's sons assisting to run things.

It is wonderful to know that Chalerm, having completely disrespected Thai law by aiding and abetting his fugitive son for 12 months (who alledgedly shot a police officer at point blank range in Club 20, and 12 months later turned himself in once coincidentally all relevant witnesses disappeared/withdrew their testimony) is now attempting to go for second base by doing much the same for Thaksin and bring him back without consequence (admittedly Thaksin's war on drugs and southern leadership resulted in a few more deaths, but those are all ok, because he probably didn't mean to).

Edited October 6, 2011 by steveromagnino

[Deez]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Its called doing thier job. Perhaps you would prefer they look the other way and allow the farmers to get screwed. Wake up dude. Any step to help minimise corruption is a positive thing

Saying the democrats are trying to minimise corruption is like letting the fox guard the hen house. Wake up dude.

Better to riot in the streets and burn down bukdings I guess. Brain dead. Please join the front line next time

[scorecard]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Stir up trouble? Isn't the main aim of an opposition party to try and unseat the current government?

And to play watchdog?

[Firefish]

Well that's the whole point of democracy. One gets elected to rule, the others get to watch closely and criticize his mistakes publicly. Of course it is done for the purpose of getting in the driver's seat yourself sometime, but it also helps correcting bad government politics. Through the internet, it all becomes accelerated to the point where you can implement webbased voting systems where anyone can follow the results in real time. Or you can start platforms discussing recent topics in no time. I think the more people get used to it, the better it will be possible to monitor what your elected government does and this can help to make corruption and lobbyism a lot more difficult. Hooray for transparency!

[animatic]

They are at it again. Abhisit and his boys just can't stand the fact that they were defeated and try to stir up anything they can to try and unseat the current party. Wah, Wah!!

Stir up trouble? Isn't the main aim of an opposition party to try and unseat the current government?

Exactly.

And there needs to be reporting of more smuggling of

Laos and Cambo rice that will be foisted off trying to

make up for the massive amounts lost in the flooding,

caused by trying to save the rice pledging crop,

at the expense of all else, and misjudging what

the dams could hold back till after harvest.