Monday, August 22, 2011

ABAC POLL


Charter move and Thaksin may spur govt to fall
Seven out of 10 people say govt should postpone any amendments
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's activities and the government's push to amend the charter are two critical issues which might cause the collapse of the Pheu Thai-led coaltion, Abac Poll said yesterday.
Some 52 per cent voiced concern that the charter rewrite could lead to political chaos and 53 per cent opposed the push to amend the charter.
The survey was conducted on 2,193 respondents from 17 selected provinces representing a nationwide sample with a seven per cent margin of error.
Among those opposing the charter rewrite, 12 per cent said they were ready to stage a protest.
About seven in ten people urged the government to postpone its push to amend the charter. And one in two people disagreed with the idea of bringing back the suspended 1997 charter.
Almost 55 per cent saw the charter rewrite as serving partisan interests rather than society. Two in five people said they suspected the charter would be amended to help Thaksin elude his conviction and punishment.
Four in five people called on the government to pay attention to improving the people's livelihood instead of focusing on charter amendments.
Almost seven in 10 people wanted Thaksin to stop meddling with the government in order to allow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to exert her leadership.
Some 51 per cent said they did not expect reconciliation to happen.
Reacting to the survey, PM Yingluck said she believed her brother Thaksin was already aware of the sentiment on his links to the government.
"My brother knows the prevailing mood of the people, this is why he has never been involved in politics," she said, insisting Thaksin only gave advice but had no direct role in the decision-making process.
She said she was willing to heed advice from all sides, including that of her brother, although she would make her own decision.
She denied speculation that Thaksin pulled strings behind the scenes, arguing Thaksin was not an office holder and that he did not dominate the government or the ruling party.

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