Correct decision for Chavalit is to

[nyeinchan@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Correct decision for Chavalit is to quit now 

June 29th, 1997
The Nation
Editorial & Opinion 

Correct decision for Chavalit is to quit now 



What is be done with an incompetent government? How can we terminate the 
term of Cabinet members the public does not trust? What is the public's 
recourse in seeking accountability from politicians whose continuing 
presence in public office will only further damage the country's 
economy? 

These only some of the questions churning in the minds of many people 
after the three-day debate on the expenditure budget for 1998. As the 
opposition took turns to criticise questionable appropriations, the 
degree of Prime Minister Chavalit's legitimacy as government leader 
diminished quickly. 

Does his government have any credibility left at all? 

Anyway, by tomorrow the public will be able to ask: Why do Chavalit and 
his team still have the audacity to be in office? As each minute ticks 
away, the country's economy has to bear the brunt of gross incompetence, 
questionable deeds and shenanigans by notorious Cabinet figures. 

The sun had hardly risen on Friday when there was more bad news in the 
finance sector, where 16 firms were ordered to suspend operations after 
their positions were found to be close to insolvency. They were given a 
month to complete mergers with stronger firms which, in fact, are not 
much different to the 16 in terms of financial strength. 

The directive sounded more like the dawning of a financial Armageddon 
which would make the clients of those firms very uncertain about their 
deposits. The announcement by the Bank of Thailand was unpleasant, 
compounding the harsh words being heaped upon scandal-numbed Cabinet 
members in the House that day. 

But the people who were responsible for this financial mess, ex-central 
bank officers and financial executives, still walk around as free men. 
Some of them even serve as advisers to the key members of the coalition 
government. 

The ill-fated firms could have avoided this financial tragedy had the 
Chavalit Cabinet's poor show on economic management during the past six 
months not aggravated their already grave situation. 

Still, the crisis in the banking and financial sector represents only 
part of the big picture of the whole mess. The Chavalit Cabinet has 
shown that it is incapable of coping with the problems, or containing 
the deterioration so far. 

This gives rise to further public concern that the overall situation 
could get even worse. 

And back to the original question: How can we get a new government which 
can produce a fair degree of improvement, or even solid economic 
recovery? 

Surely, the government will not resign to allow the second biggest party 
to form a new coalition. This is beyond our wildest dream. The public is 
well aware that Chavalit and his allies are very possessive of their 
seats. 

The notion that Cabinet members would prefer to see the collapse of the 
economy rather than the downfall of their coalition government is truly 
dreadful. 

It underscores the public belief that politicians will sacrifice 
anything to ensure their own survival. 

Central bank officials were the bearers of bad news over the past few 
days. The revelation of the erosion of the country's foreign and fiscal 
reserves was disheartening, as these economic figures do not offer a 
sense of optimism. When will the economy bottom out? The end looks an 
awfully long way from where we are now. As long as the crisis of 
confidence does not dissipate, a chance for even a mild turnaround is 
very remote. 

A survey of public opinion by an educational institution was the final 
slap in the face for Prime Minister Chavalit. It showed that he was 
considered much worse than his predecessor, Banharn Silapa-archa. What 
could be worse than that? 

Of course, the Chavalit of tomorrow could still be worse than the 
Chavalit of today. 

This could go on and on until he is out of government, along with his 
widely criticised team members. 

But when will that be? Chavalit himself does not know. He will certainly 
be the last to know, after his wife. 

Verbal barrage 

Those politicians with some sense of reality have some serious thinking 
to do about the country's future, after the merciless verbal barrage by 
the opposition on questionable budgetary appropriations. 

The public has heard the opposition's repeated warnings to the 
government about a possible collapse of the economy if they do not 
pursue a sensible course of action. The message had no impact on the 
insensitive minds of Cabinet members, some of whom must realise that 
their kind of politics is appropriate only for the shameless and the 
corrupt. 

Another gloomy aspect of the whole situation is that Chavalit himself 
appears sensitive and attentive only to the affairs of Cabinet members 
and their underlings. 

The public outcry over economic hardships does not make him grimace. His 
reaction to bad news these days appears sedated ­ if not a blank 
expression on his face. 

Oh! He is short of words to sweet talk as well. He does make people feel 
that they should accept that suffering has eventually become inevitable, 
and that everybody should be accustomed to it. 

A convincing achievement of the administration is to have gained enemies 
quickly, and to have lost friends and sympathisers ­ who are fast 
dwindling. 

The Banharn government had at least one newspaper ­ his own ­ which said 
something nice about his team during his torturous months in office. 

Chavalit, sad to say, has none. His team has even made enemies out of 
some newspapers which had been relatively neutral and were not truly 
active in political commentaries. 

The media have become more industrious than ever in their all-out 
criticism of the Chavalit Cabinet. The heavy-handed measures against 
state-owned media such as TV and radio stations will only increase 
hatred among the staff members of those units. 

The government, as of this moment, has nowhere to go but down and out. 
The damage to the economy is grinding the country down. If Chavalit 
thinks that he can still do something good for the country, the public 
is prepared to let him do it. 

There is one positive action he can fulfil with ease ­ resign 
immediately. The public should save their last tears for his final 
departure from politics ­ for good.




"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."



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