Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday asked his Democrat Party colleagues to work harder to cope with challenges in the near future.
On the eve of a new parliamentary session, Abhisit opened a party seminar on the theme "Join forces and solve the country's crisis," in Phuket amid tight security by local police and troops. He told party MPs to be united, give correct information to people, to attend House meetings regularly, and be active pushing for passing of key laws.
In regard to dissolution cases that the party faces, the Democrat leader asked MPs to pay attention but be careful about what they say or do. They should consult the legal team in charge, led by chief adviser Chuan Leekpai and adviser Banyat Bantadtan, both former party leaders, before saying or doing anything. Otherwise, they might hurt the party, he said.
Abhisit told MPs to regularly attend House sessions. Meanwhile, ministers should join party meetings so MPs get the chance to discuss related issues.
He said MPs should be active in passing necessary laws as the new election could occur at any time.
"Putting it straight, the longest this House [of MPs] can stay in place is only until the end of next year. Any important laws that haven't been started in the Parliament will be difficult to pass (within this term)."
He said the Democrats must show people they are determined to push for laws such as the Budget Bill, the national savings fund, plus land and assets taxes.
"In the parliamentary session for legislation over the next four months, if we let the House adjourn (from the lack of a quorum) again and again, then laws can't be passed. Can you imagine how we will be blamed by the people when we contest in the election?"
He said the opposition would certainly test government MPs' attendance at House meetings. They would not report their presence until they could see if government MPs met the quorum even if they agreed with laws to be passed.
MPs must have good cause and warn of any absence from House meetings in advance, he said. Otherwise, MPs missing the meeting would be revealed.
Abhisit also told MPs to focus more on solving people's problems than politicking. They must also help clarify and publicise the government's policies.
"If we ask what's on people's minds, the problems of expensive consumer goods, low prices for crops, and debts rank first among people's problems," he said.
The PM said his government had effective policies to help people solve such problems, but people lacked knowledge and understanding about them.
"People don't know many things. For example, they don't know that we never give a government officers' guarantee for loans," he said.
"The latest case is the Preah Vihear dispute. To be straight, the group that attacks us the most is the People's Alliance for Democracy. They said we said and acted differently when we were the opposition. But that's not true."
He said the government's Memorandum of Understanding with Cambodia in 2000 on the border dispute did not put Thailand at a disadvantage, as the PAD claimed. On the other hand, it meant both governments accepted there was still conflict about the borderline.
Reconciliation was crucial, he said, and the government would push for it despite knowing it wouldn't succeed without cooperation from other sectors in the country.
Related committees were set up to facilitate the process. He gave the Truth and Reconciliation Committee led by Kanit na Nakorn as an example, saying that finding truth was a procedure that could prevent a repeat of the recent crisis in Bangkok.
Abhisit said he did not intend to keep special laws invoked.
"How necessary is the Emergency decree (to remain invoked)? Most agencies want it to remain. But as a political party, I must insist that it is a special law, not a normal law. We must try to cancel the special laws," he said, adding that some day, special laws must be revoked in the restive South also.