Tough Tasks Await Government, Military Council In 2007, Says Democrat

[george]

Tough tasks await Government, military council in 2007, says Democrat

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's interim government and the Council for National Security (CNS) must deal with several political problems in 2007, even as the process to write a new constitution must be carried out smoothly and transparently to ensure that a general election would be held as promised, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said Tuesday.

The leader of the leading former opposition party predicted that those who had lost the advantages they enjoyed in the former government may actively instigate unrest.

2007 must be considered as a challenging year for Thailand because the CNS -- the military coup-makers -- must make good its promise to return democracy to society as promised earlier, Mr. Abhisit said.

Obstacles are expected and in order to overcome them the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) must ensure that the new draft must contain transparency and democracy, and not less than that represented by the 1997 Constitution, better known as the People's Constitution, Mr. Aphisit said.

The 1997 Constitution was annulled after the military leaders, now known as the CNS, took power and ousted the elected government of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on September 19 last year.

Both the CNS and the government could eliminate conflicts prevailing in the country by announcing that if the new constitution does not receive approvals from public referendum and from the National People's Assembly, they would be prepared to reinstitute the 1997 Constitution and polish it, Mr. Abhisit said.

He said an ongoing investigation on corruption and other malpractices which involved with the ousted government must be carried out by concerned agencies with prudent and punishment must be made against the wrongdoers.

But those who have lost benefits under the old regime may initiate unrest, Mr. Abhisit said, suggesting that such a scenario could happen from early this year.

--TNA 2007-01-02