National Legislative assembly member Prasong Soonsiri criticises the way the Surayud Chulanont government is running the country after the premier, right, read his administration’s record over the past six months.

The government could not show any outstanding achievements in the last six months and this could lead to a crisis in people's faith, Prasong Soonsiri, a leading member of the National Legislative Assembly said after yesterday's debate.

He said political, social and economic problems have not been solved while violence in the South seemed to be worse than during the tenure of the last administration. If the government did not improve, chaos and more rifts in society could occur before the election.

"The prime minister declared the accomplishments like presenting a thesis. What he declared was routine work, but the big policies to solve the country's problems are still left in crisis and are hurting the country," said Prasong. "The defects from the last government haven't been fixed."

This was an interim government with a limited term and "should have first focused on urgent issues At least, it must work on fixing problems related to the four reasons behind the military coup as the government has the personnel and budgets but nothing has been improved," he said.

"I want to see this government go home [step down] graciously, with the people's farewell, not curses," he said.

NLA member Khamnoon Sitthisamarn said the Surayud government had failed to tackle the crises in the country. It should try to solve other problems and not just push for an election.

Khamnoon said the government should step down.

Wallop Tangkananurak said the government should expedite the passing of laws to the NLA, including laws on good governance promotion, money laundering and consumer protection.

However, another NLA member, former navy chief Admiral Prasert Boonsong, said the Surayud government had already done its best to try to solve the southern violence.

Prasert also called on Thais to provide moral support to the government.

"In the short remaining time, we don't have time for arguments. We should help keep this 'ship' afloat. We ousted a captain with undesirable characteristics: corruption, causing rifts, interference and lese majeste. We must help row the boat together and make a new captain and crew as well as an administrative system to help this ship reach its destination safely," he said.

Meanwhile, another NLA member, Somkiat Onwimon said the slow progress was not all the government's fault, as the country had "a weak democracy and people lacked a democratic mind".

He said rehabilitating the country's politics after a military coup would take time. However, the government should lay good foundations with education and media reform.

In the meantime, PM Surayud promised to push ahead with "urgent" policies before his government ended its term.

Addressing the NLA on the government's accomplishments, Surayud insisted it would deliver five agendas before the next government took charge.

He said the government gave full support for the drafting of the new constitution, for which a referendum was set on September 2.

As he had consulted with the NLA, Council for National Security, Election Commission and Constitution Drafting Assembly, a national election would be held on December 16 or 23, he said.

To set the election date, Surayud believed, would convince the Thai people and international community that Thailand was on the road back to democracy.

Surayud said his government had adapted His Majesty the King's theory of Sufficiency Economy to the free market system. He believed it would build an immune system that could sustain national growth in the long term.

On the social front, the government had approved a five-year strategic plan (2007 - 2011) to turn the country into a peaceful society. At the beginning, the focus would be on strengthening the family as a key institution, with the priority area being the southernmost provinces.

Concerning the road to peace in the deep South, Surayud said foreign policy would be shifted to promoting dialogue and international talks to end conflicts in the region and to build "right understanding" among Islamic countries towards the problem.

Moreover, key figures in the government had visited other countries or joined international forums, Surayud said. As he saw it, those countries had given co-operation, which showed they understood the situation in Thailand and accepted existence of his interim government.