A group of 200 farmers from the People’s Network from Four Regions gather in front of Thao Suranaree Monument in Nakhon Ratchasima before marching to Bangkok to call on Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to write off their debts.

Critics have demanded the Surayud Chulanont government revise its strategy because of turmoil and surveys showing its public support is at a critical low.

They advised the government to accelerate investigations into alleged graft by the overthrown Thaksin Shinawatra administration.

National problems need to be tackled and lingering doubts the junta would step down as promised quashed.

An opinion poll taken following the New Year bombs in Bangkok shows hopes the September 19 coup would bring about political harmony and peace have been shattered.

Intense talk of another coup to boost the power of those who toppled the Thaksin administration has created unease.

The public is worried the military rulers do not truly support democratic and political reform and a return to civilian rule at the end of this year.

The Research Institute of Bangkok University yesterday said the Surayud Chulanont government scored 5.27 out of 10 for its overall performance.

"The government is wasting its time," said Prinya Thaewanaru-mitkul, a Thammasat University law lecturer.

It is blowing "golden" opportunities to become a hero after the military leaders ousted Thaksin in the coup of September 19.

"Its top agenda is to prove the previous government had been involved in corruption and abuse of power to build the wealth of its ministers," he said.

While there is no direct

evidence to back up the allegations government departments can file legal action against any minister of the Thaksin government if they were directly harmed by the alleged corruption, Prinya said.

They did not need to wait for scrutiny by the Assets Examination Committee, he added.

So far, however, they have done nothing.

Prinya predicted that the Surayud government would face a difficult time in the near future as expectation and pressure from the public would grow stronger.

The government should focus only on short-term policies as the best means to reduce the public pressure on it.

The Bangkok University survey has underlined the plunging popularity of the government.

The Abac Poll released its survey results last week showing that support for the government had been slashed to 48.5 per cent, compared with the 90 per cent it enjoyed before the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok.

The Bangkok University survey was carried out in a so-called multi-stage sampling of 1,082 respondents in Bangkok, Nontha-buri, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan from December 30 to January 4.

Sukhum Nualsakul, political scientist and former Ramkham-haeng University rector, said the government had worked slower than the public's expectation and didn't dare to wield its power.

People expected a government formed as the result of a military coup to be decisive and quick to meet targets, he said.

However, the Surayud administration had tried to follow the law as if it were a democratic government.

The government had produced no achievements during its three months in power and its term would end in less than a year, he said.

Compared to the ousted administration of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the Surayud government was much slower, as its predecessor was quick in responding to problems.

"The government should be bold in its use of power and must keep in mind that people have limited patience," he said. The government should have made it clear what it would do regarding the controversial issues of two- and three-digit lotteries and making state universities autonomous, he added.

An academic who wanted to remain anonymous said the government and the Council for National Security has been in power for more than three months but had so far failed to convince the public that an election will take place in the near future.

"They should complete the Constitution drafting as soon as possible," he said, ruling out a proposal by the newly-launched Constitution Drafting Assembly that the process should finish within 180 days.

"They can finish it in a week if they want because we all know there are only a few points in the 1997 charter [as a model for the new Constitution] which need to be amended," he said.

"The junta needs to tell the public that the future prime minister and senators will be elected through national polls," he said.

"Otherwise, those appointed posts will open for the junta to pick their men to control the new administration," he said.

He believed the government would convince the public that it did not intend to cling to power or extend military rule, as the election would be held by the middle of the year.

As the interim government had limited power to handle the growing tensions in society caused by poverty, drought and political conflict, it should quickly pave the way for an elected government to take charge," he said.

Weerayut Chokchaimadon,

Kornchanok Raksaseri,

Somroutai Sapsomboon

The Nation