Alongkorn attacks fellow Democrats

Claims party members trying to discredit him over his proposal

Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Polabutr yesterday slammed his party colleagues for accusing him of lacking ideology and principle, and for saying he had proposed a reform blueprint that allegedly follows in the Pheu Thai Party's footsteps of "intoxicating people with populist policies".

Alongkorn tweeted on his personal Twitter account @alongkornpb, "Newspapers report that a senior Democrat claimed that Chuan Leekpai was very angry that my reform plan contradicts the party's ideology because the plan focuses on populist policies. The party source has distorted my reform plan submitted to the party's executive board meeting on Monday.

"The accusation that my reform is in violation of the party's principle since it focuses on populist policies, copying the Pheu Thai Party, is a move to discredit me. I have been disciplined by not giving press interviews after the meeting, but I was attacked. Falsely citing Chuan, whom I hold in high regard, with the intent of lying is not gentlemanly. You can hurt me but do not hurt the 'reform'.

"I have proven my unwavering allegiance to the party over the past 22 years. I chaired the party anti-corruption panel during the Thaksin regime, risking my life - is this a lack of ideology? Chuan is a model of anti-corruption and I have fought against vote-buying and corruption and populism.

"Abhisit assigned me to implement a bureaucratic reform because of an inefficient bureaucratic system. I reduced the time to start business in Thailand from four days to 60 minutes. I made the difficult task of bureaucratic reform a success mission, enabling the Department of Business Development to win the country's first place.

"I started a pilot project, training 1,200 officials to have vision and ideology. Why am I accused of not having ideology and principles? I was attacked because I have disseminated a reform plan entitled 'The party reform blueprint and 21 years of election defeat' in a straightforward manner since I do not want the blueprint to be distorted."

The Democrat Party on Tuesday deferred a press conference on the party's decision on whether to accept Alongkorn's reform plan after he failed to turn up.

The party executive board meeting decided on Monday that further discussion is needed before a decision can be reached in regard to the reform proposal put forward by Alongkorn.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva gave an interview to the Blue Sky Channel, saying the party on Monday decided that more work needed to be done within one month before the party came to a decision on reform.

First, the party wants to restructure the party executive board, and reform party management and the roles and responsibilities of all members. "The ultimate objective of a reform is a victory of the party's ideologies. We must move forward to uphold our ideologies, win the election and work for the country,'' Abhisit said.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/05/16/alongkorn-attacks-fellow-democrats/