new parliament takes up issue of civil servants who aided in Thaksin admin. policy corruption

NLA members lay into Thaksin

Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra became an easy punching-bag for members of the National Legislative Assembly as they debated the new government's policies yesterday.

Surin Pitsuwan, an NLA member from the Democrat Party, slammed the Thaksin government for not ratifying the International Criminal Court, to which the Kingdom became a signatory under the Chuan Leekpai administration in 2000.

He asked the current government's position on the court.

Thaksin's foot-dragging on the issue was reportedly influenced by the United States, which openly opposed the idea out of concern it would be treated unfairly in the international forum.

Surin did not limit his attack to Thaksin, extending it to bureaucrats as well. He asked why the Department for Special Investigation (DSI) had suddenly come across evidence to support the belief that Somchai Neelaphaijit may have been killed.

"Is this the same DSI that was serving under the previous government?" he said.

Surichai Wankaeo, Chulalongkorn University sociologist-cum-NLA member, started his debate of the Surayud Chulanont government policies by stating that this government had to right the Thaksin administration's wrong.

"The past government caused a lot of damage to the country ... we are having a crisis of values and morality. The restoration will take the brains of the entire nation [not only this government]," he said.

Another member, Phaisarn Phuetmongkol, urged the new government to review mega-projects launched by the previous administration, as it might be able to save about Bt100 billion.

Phaisarn cited the government office centre project as an example. He said the previous administration had forced government agencies to lease space for offices from the private sector at an inflated rate of Bt400 per square metre, four times the market rate.

Phaisarn said the project would cost the government about Bt86 billion but if the government built the centre itself, it would have to pay only Bt13 billion. [ed. isn't this grounds for criminal charges?]