Abhisit: People Power has broken election pledges

The Democrat Party leader also warned Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej not to behave like a bodyguard of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra, saying his duty was to deliver on campaign promises to the people.

Missing from the list of state policies are issues like tax reform, introduction of social welfare measures and measures to boost incomes and lower the cost of living, said Abhisit.

He urged the new administration to pay special attention to education policy, the parliamentary system and to prevent future coups.

Abhisit said he was very disappointed the Samak administration had not guaranteed a truly free 12 years of education. Hidden costs continue to deter many poor parents from allowing their children to finish their basic education, he said.

The Democrat leader also urged the government to introduce an education fund to give needy students loans to finish their undergraduate studies, and to lower the ratio of school computers to students from 40 students per computer to 10.

He said it was imperative to address education as it is the foundation for the success of a society, and that society will become "weak" without good education.

Abhisit went on to advise Samak on how to conduct himself as a prime minister.

"Earlier there have been allegations as to whether you are a puppet prime minister or not. Now that you're a real prime minister, you must deal with problems and do what is right. Do you play the role of protector of the former PM, because that's not your job as a PM.

"Rather, you should allow the judicial process to take its own course. It's also not your duty to talk about invisible hands. Your duties lie in administering the country, dealing with ugly politicians, terrible deeds and corruption. If you succeed, then you can step away from the political post fulfilled. If you can't deal with these, you will end up becoming a fake prime minister wanted neither by the nation nor the people," he

said.

Prapasri Osathanont

The Nation