PM defends record over last 3 years
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha defended the decisions he has made during his three years in office yesterday, saying he has worked as well as the resources at his disposal allowed.
Speaking ahead of the third anniversary of the May 22 coup, Gen Prayut, leader of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said he was doing his best to steer the country forward and tackle social and economic problems.
“If I’m not satisfied, it’s because I can’t achieve everything [set out by the government’s roadmap].
But I’ve been doing my best according to the budget and the time I’ve been given,” he said.
“Some people don’t like or don’t understand what I am doing. They accuse me of trying to prolong and hold on to power. But I’ll pass on whatever problems I cannot fix [to future governments],” he added.
The prime minister’s remarks were apparently triggered by a wave of assessments on the performance of the government and NCPO ahead of the upcoming anniversary.
Gen Prayut said the regime would update the public on its performances and achievements in September before the end of the 2017 fiscal year.
He pointed out that the government is the policy maker, with the NCPO acting as a support unit rather than as its commander-in-chief.
Gen Prayut said the regime has focused on helping low-income earners but this does not mean it will roll out subsidy programmes or hand out cash.
He said the government has set itself lofty ambitions.
If it fails to achieve them, subsequent administrations will find the job equally challenging and are not likely to fare much better, he said.
The prime minister also called on the public not to be deceived by politicians’ empty promises.
The government has been working to l ay a strong foundation for the country but critics distort the facts to cast it in a bad light and make it look as though it is failing, he said.
“Don’t listen to their promises — what they will do when they return [to power]. I won’t make that kind of promise. I am concerned about the country, not about democracy. We’ll have elections, but do we want to return to a state of chaos?” he said.
Gen Prayut said national development takes time and so does democratic development as he moved to placate a Thai public hungry for reform.