"It depends on the atmosphere everyone creates to move towards democracy. It does not depend on the government," he said.

Surayud also played down Defence Minister General Boonrawd Somtas's comment yesterday that the country could see a repeat of the September 19 coup if political confrontation continued as at present.

"I am optimistic. The country does not belong to any particular group but to 65 million people. Most people want to the country to be peaceful. If we hold hands and walk forward together, we will be successful," he said.

Surayud conceded that the economy had slowed down under his administration but reasoned that there were many contributing factors, such as the weakening of the US dollar against Asian currencies. He said he trusted the governor of the Bank of Thailand to maintain the stability of the baht.

However, to boost investor confidence in the country's political sector, all Thais have to move together towards a general election. "My duty is to bring the country out of crisis and solve problems through nonviolence," he added.

Meanwhile, Boonrawd told reporters he was aware there had been attempts to create conflict between Surayud and Council for National Security (CNS) chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, but he was confident that both men would stand firm.

He insisted that political trouble would intensify at the end of the month, when the Constitution Tribunal delivers verdicts that could lead to the dissolution of the country's two major political parties. However, he said the government and the CNS had a plan to handle the situation.

Boonrawd said deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was making political moves out of a survival instinct because he, his family and his party were in trouble.

"Everything depends on the public. If they use their conscience as to what is right and wrong, the future for our democracy is near. If we try to defeat each other now, the country will move back to a September 19 situation," he said.

The Nation