Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Abhisit, Samak say they're ready to lead

General News - Tuesday December 18, 2007

RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Abhisit, Samak say they're ready to lead

Rivals explain to voters why they should be PM

MANOP THIP-OSOD

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and his main rival Samak Sundaravej of the People Power party (PPP) both declared themselves ready and able to be prime minister yesterday.

With election day on Sunday, the two antagonists have little time left to convince voters of which of them is best-suited to head the first elected government since the Sept 19 coup last year.

"I'm real," Mr Abhisit told supporters at Siam Society, adding he would take all responsibility for any damage resulting from cabinet decisions if he is head of the next government.

One of the first things he would do was to call on ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return to the country to fight all the charges against him in court, he said.

Mr Abhisit insisted there would be no compromising on his people's agenda with other parties if they wanted to join the Democrats in forming a government. He also rejected the idea that a coalition government would not be strong enough to solve the country's problems.

Mr Samak said in Nong Khai that he was also ready to lead the country.

He made it clear that one of his first missions would be to end the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) inquiry into alleged irregularities committed by Mr Thaksin and his cabinet ministers, and to give political amnesty to all 111 executive members of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party.

Many members of the ASC were not impartial and were actually opponents of Mr Thaksin, he said.

The PPP and Democrats are expected to emerge as the two major parties in the contest for the 480 seats in the House of Representatives.

PPP secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee said on a radio programme the PPP would not form a single-party government even if it won more than half the seats in the parliament.

The Democrats and PPP are using different strategies in their push for victory at Sunday's polls.

Mr Abhisit's party emphasises clean leadership and a chance for the young generation to lead the country, apparently wanting to remind voters of the problems Mr Thaksin caused when he was in power.

The PPP's message appeals to voters to support the party rather than individuals.

The PPP claims that having a majority in the lower House would enable it to solve the economic problems plaguing the country.

Bangkok Post

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