STREET WISE
Crusaders tilt their lances
The War of the Roses between Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula and Auditor-General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka was the big news of the week.
The leakage of the Auditor-General Office's report over allegations that 14 officials had inappropriately earned a huge amount of money by sitting on more than three state enterprise boards, sparked the conflict between the two titans of the interim government. In one corner is the Economic Tsar, while in the other is the outspoken lady who is diligently sniffing through every allegation to clean up the dirt left behind by the previous government. The report released to the press on Monday exposed the division between the two key players, as Pridiyathorn didn't take the charge against him lightly. On Monday, he called a press conference to hit back at Jaruvan's allegation that he broke the law by sitting as a board member for more than three state enterprises. One day afterward, his fury had yet to subside. "I want to know how the report found its way to the newspapers," he demanded yesterday. Pridiyathorn said the auditor-general should have contacted him in the first place. "Our offices are within walking distance," he said. "But suddenly the letter, which was supposed to be internal, found its way to the press." Pridiyathorn was at his wit's end about the leak. So he resorted to the media, saying, "I want to ask the press to see how it happened." Point taken. But nobody has given him any promises, fearing that it might violate the press ethics code against revealing sources. Just a few blocks away, the media asked Jaruvan about the very same issue. The press asked if she was trying to bridge her differences with Pridiyathorn. After all, the public are rooting for these two crusaders and placing high hopes on them to improve the administration of the interim government. Besides, both Pridiyathorn and Jaruvan are generally popular among the press. They are straightforward, brave and so far scandal-free. To maintain her form, Jaruvan said she had yet to meet Pridiyathorn. The press corps was disappointed, asking how would they sort things out if they still refuse to meet each other. In response, Jaruvan said: "I leave the job to you, the media, to reconcile."
Jeerawat@nationgroup.com
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