Thailand’s six-party opposition bloc has issued a joint statement outlining the government’s failures during the past three years under the leadership of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Leaders of the opposition parties, among them Chonlanan Srikaew of Pheu Thai, Pita Limjaroenrat of Move Forward, Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavet of Thai Liberal Party, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha of Prachachart, Nikhom Boonvises of Thai People Power Party and Sarunvuth Sarunkate of Pheu Chart, met yesterday to discuss the government’s performance.
They summed up the government’s failures as follows:
Leadership failure on the part of Prime Minister Prayut, citing the use of a special law to shut down the operations of the Akara gold mine, resulting in a multi-billion-baht lawsuit being filed against the government by its parent company in Australia.
- Massive corruption, citing the medical glove procurement scandal, which caused losses estimated at over 100 billion baht of taxpayer’s money, and the procurement of ATKs.
- Failures in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the widespread closure of many businesses and an economic meltdown.
- Budget mismanagement with record high borrowing
- Political reform failures, citing the prime minister’s effort to block the opposition’s attempts to amend the Constitution and attempts to “buy” opposition MPs.
- The government’s restrictions of the rights and liberties of the people through the use of security laws against peaceful protesters.
- Failure to solve economic problems, supporting rich businesses while ignoring the grievances of the poor and lack of direction in economic recovery.
- Education reform failures, pushing the Thai educational system to rock bottom among ASEAN countries.
- Failure to tackle illegal narcotics and other serious crimes
