‘Populist’ handouts under fire

The military government’s 86.9-billionbaht splurge on low-income earners, the elderly and retirees has drawn criticism from all sides.

Critics have lashed out against the massive handout, calling it populism — something that the regime had criticised politicians for doing and had pledged to stamp out.

“The package is nothing more than a populist policy. The government has apparently shifted from its welfare policy to a populist policy,” Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of the Democrats and a former prime minister, said about the financial handout approved by the cabinet on Tuesday.

Asked if he thought the cash handout packages would give the pro-regime political camp an advantage over other political parties in the coming general election, Mr Abhisit said he didn’t know but he thought most people knew what the real intention was behind the packages.

Despite the massive cash splurge, Mr Abhisit said he didn’t think the government could expect much in return.

He said state welfare for the underprivileged should be delivered in a more systematic approach, so it can benefit people in the long term regardless of which party forms the next government.

Ladawan Wongsriwong, a spokeswoman for the Pheu Thai Party, questioned whether the government had asked the Election Commission (EC) to decide if it could roll out these cash handout packages ahead of the next general election.

Some ministers in the government are also going to contest the next election.

If the EC rules the government could do so, any other government could then do the same, she said.

Thaikorn Polsuwan, a former leader of a group of demonstrators calling itself the “civil army against the Thaksin Shinawatra regime”, posted on Facebook, saying this was a last-ditch attempt by a dictatorship party to win support.

Taxpayers’ money was being given away to woo people to cast their votes for a proregime party so that it will win with 150 seats in parliament as expected, Mr Thaikorn said.

Government spokesman Buddhipongse Punnakanta insisted the government worked on the packages for a long time before they were approved by the cabinet on Tuesday.

The packages were announced ahead of the New Year because the coming festive season will be a time when every family will need more money to pay for extra activities, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon echoed Mr Buddhipongse’s response to criticism of the the handouts.