• 
• 

Published on October 9, 2007

Sonthi said he would try to iron out the differences between them.

"It's a good idea to talk. It's an easy and convenient way to do it," the new deputy premier told reporters at Government House. "Although I am no longer chairman of the Council for National Security, I will ask him [Prasong],'' he said.

He did not say whether he would ask Prasong to drop the censure motion by a group of National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members, saying it was the assembly's right to check on the government.

Prasong yesterday vowed to expose offences allegedly committed by Surayud and his government during scrutiny in the NLA tomorrow.

During a press conference in which he hit back at Surayud, Prasong did not deny that the motivation to grill Surayud and his administration was to topple the government.

"If the government breaks the law, it must be brought to task. It does not matter how many months of its term are left. How can you let them escape the law when other law offenders are sent to jail?'' he said.

Prasong accused Surayud of practising double standards by breaking laws while running the administration.

He vowed to grill Surayud in the NLA today over his statements he is "a bandit who repents and turns to be a good guy". If Surayud repents, he has to return what he robbed from the country, he added.

He said some NLA members would also probe Surayud over the allegation that he encroached on reserve forest at Khao Yai Thieng in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The NLA's standing committee on the police will meet today over the encroachment allegation. Prasong also distributed maps of Surayud's house allegedly located on reserve forest.

Prasong denied trying to scrap the general election, saying he just wants to carry out his duty in checking the government. "If I do not work and only accept a salary every month, then I should be ashamed,'' he said.

He said the election would be held because the Constitution stipulated that the poll must be held within 90 days.

He accused Surayud of political interference in the affairs of the Constitution Drafting Committee by setting the election day without waiting for the drafting of organic laws to be completed.

"It is fresh interference and indirectly forced us, which shows no etiquette at all. The government has no duty to manage the election. Only the Election Commission has,'' he said.

Prasong accused Surayud of lacking maturity for hinting in an interview that Prasong asked him to do something against his moral beliefs while he was Army commander-in-chief.

"What he said shows his lack of maturity and what he said has double meanings with the intent to make people understand that I am a bad person, as if I am angry when my request is turned down. His statements, especially that he could not do me a favour because it was against his moral beliefs, is to paint himself as a saint and others as evil,'' Prasong said.

"People who are fully mature must uphold integrity and not pretend to mislead other people that they are soldiers who love democracy and hate dictatorship,'' he said.

Prasong asked Surayud to clarify what he meant when he mentioned his request. "Over eight years, I have discussed many problems including security,'' he said.

Prasong defended himself by saying that throughout his working life he had never asked anything from anyone for his vested interest. He said he had been giving to Surayud since he served in the military and had worked with him in security.

He said he helped Surayud from being stuck in the post of Army specialist to rise to Army chief during the Chuan administration.

He also denied that he asked Surayud to stage a coup against the Chuan government.

Prasong said after the motion to grill the government had been set in the agenda, there had been an attempt to lobby NLA members to drop the motion. However, the attempt failed because the motion had been correctly and legally tabled for discussion tomorrow.

Surayud said yesterday he was ready to sit and talk with Prasong about the ongoing dispute between them.

During a meeting with Government House reporters, Surayud refused to elaborate on what exactly he meant when he said he could not do what Prasong asked when he was the Army chief because it was against his principles.

"If I answer, more problems will occur,'' he said.

Surayud said he had not contacted Prasong but was ready to do so. "I am ready to talk to answer questions and clarify myself. I only have the truth and I do not lie,'' he said.

Asked to elaborate on his remark that he was a bandit who repented, Surayud said he was just playing with words. He explained that he was once in a military unit that launched attacks like bandits (guerrilla warfare).

Surayud said he would not ask Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda to intervene because he did not want to trouble him and that Prem should not get involved with politics.

He expressed belief that his government would serve its last three months despite the conflict.

In a related development, Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban expressed concern over the conflict between the two men but was still confident the general election would not be postponed. "The public will not accept any groups that try to postpone the election,'' he said.

He called on Surayud to stay on no matter how seriously he is attacked in the House. "The PM must be patient. He cannot step back. Even though it may hurt, he must tolerate this for the sake of the country,'' he said.

Sathien Wiriyapanpongsa,

Piyanart Srivalo,

Prapasri Osathanon

The Nation