Govt leaders, MPs told to stop showing their faces in flood-hit areas

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

FORMER ELECTION COMMISSIONER Somchai Srisuthiyakorn today (Sept. 28) suggested government leaders and lawmakers stop showing their faces simply by spending a few hours on official visits to flood-hit areas in the provinces.

WIthout naming names, Somchai apparently referred to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and MPs of the Palang Pracharath Party or other coalition partners who, he said, may have merely looked to show their faces by having visited or planning to visit the flood-hit areas in once-over fashion.

The former commissioner of the polling agency commented on his Facebook page that high-level government officials in charge of administrative, agricultural, irrigational and related affairs have also shown their faces by accompanying these politicians to the flooded provinces.

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Somchai doubted the flood-related problems could eventually be solved with the official visits of the government leaders and MPs who may have superficially inspected the affected areas and been briefed by government officials.

He advised all government officials responsible for the flood-related problems to devote themselves to ongoing efforts to relieve the woes of the flood victims and to not waste time receiving the face-showing politicians.

Prayut is scheduled to visit flood-hit areas of Chaiyaphum while Prawit is scheduled to visit those of Nakhon Ratchasima tomorrow. A number of Palang Pracharath MPs are expected to accompany either one of the government leaders during separate trips to the northeastern provinces.

Their visits in response to the current flooding situation in the provinces were largely seen as a casual attempt to woo and maintain popularity among constituents who may go to the polls in the next general election.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on a flood inspection trip to Sukhothai province last Sunday.

Home Page: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Photos: Matichon