Bhum Jai Thai is simply doing it's job - Anutin

Anutin Charnvirakul, a key member of Bhum Jai Thai Party and son of party leader Chaovarat talks to The Nation's Jintana Panyaarvudh, Somroutai Sapsomboon and Kornchanok Raksaseri about the future of his party and reported conflicts between Bhum Jai Thai and the government leader, the Democrat Party.

Ministries under the responsibility of Bhum Jai Thai ministers are quite close to people's daily lives, and the budgets for these ministries are huge.

We have to figure out how to make use of the money through projects. Sometimes we have different opinions from those of other coalition parties. That's normal and we can argue and explain. The core coalition party must open such chances, not just conclude and make decisions.

Many times, Bhum Jai Thai is seen as having conflict with other coalition parties. But that's not the significant point. We are confident we are trying to do good for the public.

We fight only over the work, and not over personal issues. So far, we have done well. There is no project that we have forced other parties to approve.

For example, the NGV bus-leasing project: nobody can blame Bhum Jai Thai now because it was approved after a study by the NESDB [National Economic and Social Development Board], which is not under our responsibility. We made a deal before [the study] that if the NESDB turned down the project, we would stop. But if it agreed with the project, we must be allowed to move on with it. The conflict ended then.

Not true. Whoever said so was speaking groundlessly.

Our party is still small, and is less than one year old. We have to produce achievements to win people's recognition.

We work every day nowadays. We are in charge of ministries related to ordinary people's daily lives. It's unavoidable that we are in the media every day. You come out of your house and you relate to Bhum Jai Thai, whether you step up on roads, buy rice, take a bus or register for an identification card.

I don't know. I was not the person who negotiated to form the government.

In fact, people should not criticise Bhum Jai Thai today for taking care of many important ministries. At that time we just left [Thaksin's] party because we were fed up with conflicts in society.

When we left Thaksin's party we didn't know we would be here today. We didn't even know if any party would accept us. It was high risk, high return.

We don't think we betrayed anybody. We just did what we believed to be right.

That's because people unnecessarily doubt our party.

It's okay that our projects are scrutinised. We hope just people recognise that Bhum Jai Thai initiated and pushed for the projects.

We are ready for scrutiny in all projects. Today, scrutiny comes from all directions, not just from the opposition. We have the red shirts, the yellow shirts, independent organisations, NGOs and even the government coalition itself. If we cheat and you cannot find irregularities, that means we are too good at cheating.

It's the responsibility of the minister in charge.

You see, this is just the beginning and nine months have passed. When the first bus in the project rolls out of the factory, I don't know where I - and Bhum Jai Thai party - will be then. So is it really possible to say that we are taking huge advantage from it?

The statuses are different. When we joined Thaksin's party we were just members of the party. We needed to convince the PM for his approval before proposing a project and the credit went to the party leader, and also the blame.

Now we are free to work with the Democrats, but we have to take the blame ourselves for any mistake we make. Today we are running a party, we want achievements of our own.

We prefer to own a small house rather than being a guest in a large house.

No. We're not bored. Each of us has a role to play and a duty to do together. We try to achieve understanding so we can stay together for as long as possible.

To make the party recognised, Bhum Jai Thai has to make the most achievements.

The main goal for Bhum Jai Thai is to create reconciliation in our country. That will be possible because Thais still have the monarchy as a unifying figure. We are therefore on the opposite side to anybody thinking badly towards the monarchy. We cannot name the people thinking badly towards the monarchy, but we oppose them.

Bhum Jai Thai's strength is in its unity. You will not see members giving diverse comments. We don't have factions or conditions for negotiations among us. We honour our party leader and the coalition parties.

Our party isn't growing dramatically, but we are dependable. We work hard and we can stand anything. Nothing is more thrilling than defecting from Thaksin.

No. No members of Bhum Jai Thai have contacted him. We accept that we have separated.

Anything is possible in politics.

It is clear in Thai politics that there are two opposing major parties. It depends on the smoothness of the working atmosphere. If we can still work together, we work together. But if we always have conflict, blocking and nitpicking for political purposes, without any proof; if party leaders don't control their members and achieve unity to enhance the stability of the government, that will force us to consider switching.

It doesn't mean that Bhum Jai Thai can choose. Maybe no party will want Bhum Jai Thai to join a coalition. The major parties might join a coalition and leave the small parties to be the opposition. Anything can happen.

We are ready to stand all situations. We want to be the government and not the opposition. But we would be a good opposition party, and will accept that if we need to.

Yes. We have to face reality. Bhum Jai Thai is new - less than one year old. To grow bigger we must have accomplishments; we have to know ourselves, and not expect too much from the upcoming election.

No. We don't have any ill feeling towards each other. We just left his party. Lots of people have left for other parties. Why blame only Newin?

Bhum Jai Thai never blamed Thaksin, or caused problems for his family.

He only said to his ex-boss: "Boss, please stop. Don't stir up the country." That was in April and do you see what happened after that?

We were begging, not blaming him at all. We have to warn our friends when we find something wrong, right? And we could do just that. We didn't suppress or do anything to trouble him.

Thaksin is abroad. Thaksin and Newin are living on their own. So please don't go too far. Let it be that time before we think about it. But personally I think there is no permanent friend or foe in Thai politics. I have never seen anybody break this thesis.

May I ask what the country would get if Newin and Thaksin fought against each other. They are two super-politicians. Is it possible that they would listen to each other and think of the country's interests first, on the basis that Thailand needs the monarchy?

Let the people decide. If all three of them join together, that would be great.

After all, let the fight be in the parliamentary system, not among movements outside the Parliament.

Nothing.

May I say, in the name of my father (Interior Minister and Bhum Jai Thai leader Chaovarat). about the selection of national police chief: it is not an issue between the Bhum Jai Thai and Democrat parties. The Interior Minister is one of the members of the police executive board. The responsibility belongs to the Interior Minister, not the Bhum Jai Thai Party. If anybody sues the board, the Interior Minister must be responsible, not the party, because he does not represent the party on the board.

Certainly. Personal and party issues must be taken separately. It is the Interior Minister's personal decision whom to support for the police chief's post, not the party's.

This is not a conflict. The Interior Minister has shown his standpoint. And I want to make it clear he will never lobby for support. If his choice loses, he will accept that.

He will never come to join us. Every cell of his body is Democrat.

Suthep is most reliable.

Bhum Jai Thai is the most reliable party. It doesn't sway. An unreliable person is a person who says this today and says another thing tomorrow, without any standpoint. Bhum Jai Thai is decisive, its standpoint is clear towards the country, the monarchy and its work. It's ready to answer all questions.

Newin is the most gentle man and the most reliable person I've ever known. He is word worthy.

Have you ever changed your job? You must look at both sides: how the boss and the employee treat one another. Nobody leaves others without a reason. But there are some things we cannot say in public.

Newin is now 52. He was jailed after the military coup. He is experienced in life. I can say that for him, the country is most important.

Newin has the potential to be a prime minister, but it depends whether people will give him a chance. Firstly, we must wait until the political ban ends.

I hold less than 5 per cent and my family and relatives totally hold less than 30 per cent of shares in Sino-Thai. My father left the company in 1994 and I left in June 2004. We welcome scrutiny.