ID :
40680
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 16:24
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/40680
The shortlink copeid
THAI PM SAYS POLITICAL STABILITY HAS RETURNED By D. Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Jan 14 (Bernama) --Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Wednesday assured foreign governments that the country, which saw massive street protests and political crises last year, has achieved a measure of internal political stability since his appointment last December.
He said the results of by-elections for 29 parliament seats and the race for
the Bangkok Governor's post on Sunday had sustained this momentum, and pledged
that his government would do its utmost to ensure that this stability became
ever more secure in the days and months ahead.
"I am sure that many of you have been following recent developments on the
political scene in Thailand very closely and with great interest. The past year,
indeed, has not been an easy one for my country as we have lived through some
'ups and downs' and, at times, complicated situations," he told Bangkok-based
Diplomatic Corps and International Organisations.
Speaking at the Government House, which was seized by anti-government
protesters and held for three months during the premiership of Samak Sundaravek
and his successor Somchai Wongsawat, Abhisit said the country was now moving
into a promising period of democratic transition.
"The transition will ensure harmony in our society, contentment for our
people, and confidence amongst our friends," said Abhisit, the Democrat leader
who became the country's 27th prime minister after Somchai was banned from
politics for five years and his People's Power Party (PPP) dissolved by the
court for election fraud.
Abhisit said his coalition government assumed office through the democratic
parliamentary process and was committed to fostering reconciliation and harmony
in Thai society.
On the economy, he said Thailand's economic fundamentals remained strong and
the government considered the revitalisation of the economy and the restoration
of confidence in the business sector to be tasks of the highest and imminent
priority.
He said the government recently launched a 116 billion baht stimulus package
of short-and long-term measures that included cost subsidies for basic services,
job training and community development projects, tax incentives, and financial
aid for employees and companies.
On the international front, Abhisit, who plans to attend the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland at the end of this month, said Thailand would host
the 14th Asean Summit in Hua Hin from Feb 27 to March 1, after being postponed
from last December and venue changed from Bangkok originally and then Chiang
Mai.
"We are ready to host this Summit and to carry out our duties as Asean Chair
throughout the year as the forum moves to implement the Asean Charter," he
said. The Summit was delayed after protesters closed down Bangkok's two major
airports in November.
But despite Abhisit's assurance of political stability, he remains haunted
by supporters of the former PPP and ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as
the group known as Red Shirts wanted to continue egg-pelting against government
leaders and plans to target the premier when he speaks at a dinner talk to the
foreign media Wednesday.
-- BERNAMA
He said the results of by-elections for 29 parliament seats and the race for
the Bangkok Governor's post on Sunday had sustained this momentum, and pledged
that his government would do its utmost to ensure that this stability became
ever more secure in the days and months ahead.
"I am sure that many of you have been following recent developments on the
political scene in Thailand very closely and with great interest. The past year,
indeed, has not been an easy one for my country as we have lived through some
'ups and downs' and, at times, complicated situations," he told Bangkok-based
Diplomatic Corps and International Organisations.
Speaking at the Government House, which was seized by anti-government
protesters and held for three months during the premiership of Samak Sundaravek
and his successor Somchai Wongsawat, Abhisit said the country was now moving
into a promising period of democratic transition.
"The transition will ensure harmony in our society, contentment for our
people, and confidence amongst our friends," said Abhisit, the Democrat leader
who became the country's 27th prime minister after Somchai was banned from
politics for five years and his People's Power Party (PPP) dissolved by the
court for election fraud.
Abhisit said his coalition government assumed office through the democratic
parliamentary process and was committed to fostering reconciliation and harmony
in Thai society.
On the economy, he said Thailand's economic fundamentals remained strong and
the government considered the revitalisation of the economy and the restoration
of confidence in the business sector to be tasks of the highest and imminent
priority.
He said the government recently launched a 116 billion baht stimulus package
of short-and long-term measures that included cost subsidies for basic services,
job training and community development projects, tax incentives, and financial
aid for employees and companies.
On the international front, Abhisit, who plans to attend the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland at the end of this month, said Thailand would host
the 14th Asean Summit in Hua Hin from Feb 27 to March 1, after being postponed
from last December and venue changed from Bangkok originally and then Chiang
Mai.
"We are ready to host this Summit and to carry out our duties as Asean Chair
throughout the year as the forum moves to implement the Asean Charter," he
said. The Summit was delayed after protesters closed down Bangkok's two major
airports in November.
But despite Abhisit's assurance of political stability, he remains haunted
by supporters of the former PPP and ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as
the group known as Red Shirts wanted to continue egg-pelting against government
leaders and plans to target the premier when he speaks at a dinner talk to the
foreign media Wednesday.
-- BERNAMA
