Obviously the King's sentiments are shared by most Thai people who want to see the interim government purge national politics of corruption so that democracy, once re-established, will be given a chance to thrive and take root in our society.

Hopefully, when the country eventually gets back its democracy and a new civilian government - through a free and fair election some time next year - the political reform measures this government is working on, and a new constitution to be drawn up by the National Legislative Assembly, will have produced positive results. That is: a smooth functioning parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy that is relatively free from corruption and is accountable to the public. People will also expect to have a political system governed by the rule of law; one that comes equipped with effective checks and balances as well as self-correcting mechanisms.

It cannot be emphasised enough that the Surayud administration has an immensely difficult task ahead. But this government cannot afford to make any excuses for failure to deliver on what it has set out to do, given the fact that it has had an extraordinary head start in the form of royal endorsement from the King.

In his speech on Monday, the King expressed his support for Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, whom he described as a strong character and man of principle. His Majesty also acknowledged that members of his Cabinet, comprised mostly of retired civil servants, possess valuable experience that makes them capable of positive contributions to the country.

What Thailand needs now is a steady democratisation process that goes hand in hand with unrelenting national development efforts. The King, who turned 79 yesterday, praised Surayud, a retired army chief, and his "elderly" Cabinet for rising to the formidable challenge of putting the country back on track as a democracy and a progressive society. But what was left unsaid by His Majesty is equally important. Eventually, Surayud and his Cabinet members, along with other people of their generation, will exit the stage to make way for a younger generation of politicians. They must therefore take it upon themselves to leave the country in much better shape than they found it in. In other words, the success or failure of this government will have a great bearing on Thailand's destiny. Surayud and his Cabinet must succeed in their undertaking to turn the country around and restore democracy, so they can pass the torch to the next generation of national leaders.

That's why the government must move quickly to do whatever needs to be done without further delay. Being in possession of experience and the ability to keep a cool head are certainly key advantages of old age, but there is a lot to be done and time is running out. This government has less than one year to accomplish everything it has promised to do. Cleaning up dirty politics is chief amongst those objectives.

Let's not forget that the culture of deceit and corruption propagated by deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai Party during their more than five years in power transformed the country's political landscape in many negative ways. The Surayud government now has less than one year to reverse the ill effects of manipulative politics.

Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai Party expertly combined populist policies with the corruption-prone traditional patronage system. They converted the majority of voters into loyal supporters. It is imperative that a well-thought-out public education programme be implemented to promote effective citizenship and political awareness that will give people, especially the rural masses, some immunity against manipulation by corrupt politicians.

Failing that, any other achievements of this government will come to naught and the country may again fall into corruption, failing democracy, political crisis and military coup.