Corruption at its worst: Democrats using Public Purse to Promote Party Propaganda

The Nation


As chairman of the publicity team, it was PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey who decided to publicise the government's performance on the premier's birthday. In other words, Abhisit will be telling the public what they have gained from his government so far, and what they should expect in the future.

A performance report will be released on August 3 along with the launch of a month-long publicity campaign. One of the highlights of this campaign will be the free 15-year compulsory education that the government has implemented nationwide. The campaign will be publicised on newspapers, billboards, community radio stations and two books that will be distributed widely.

About 10,000 copies of the first book, "Six Months, 100 Measures, 10 Million Happiness", will be handed out to media, MPs and senators. As for the second book - an easy-to-read version titled "Stories from the Fence: Thai People's Happiness is the Government's Goal" - about 200,000 copies will be printed and distributed to the public through village funds, school libraries, universities and government banks.

Satit also boasted about the sufficiency community project, which includes community-initiated, community-run development funds.

During its six months in office, this government has already set up relief programmes for nine groups of people and business affected by the economic downturn, including senior citizens, workers, farmers, the poor and small- and medium-sized enterprises. As part of the five-measure relief package, some 35 million people have benefited from free electricity and 12 million people have been receiving free water supply.

Still, despite all this work, the Democrats may have forgotten that they are part of a coalition. Clearly, all the achievements being advertised seem to have come from Democrats. In fact, a minister from a coalition party was even heard mumbling that maybe this campaign should be called the "Democrat Party's achievements".


Is this even legal? The Democrats are using public money and public agencies to promote their own political agenda. Even if it is legal, it surely isn't ethical.

The Democrat Party apparatus is in full swing. They have the ISOC fascist propaganda in full swing, they have the state media and most of the private sector media in their pocket, and now they are using the power of their offices and state institutions to promote party activities.

And they still can't beat Thaksin who is languishing in a foreign country in exile!

Bangkok Pundit has blogged on the recent polls.