Most doubt govt can deal with new floods: poll

Fewer than half the people surveyed by a recent Abac poll were confident the government could handle the flood situation this year and had no idea if flood prevention plans were in place.

The survey results released yesterday showed that 56 per cent of respondents had very little confidence to no confidence the government could prevent a catastrophic flood from striking again this year - while 44 per cent had faith in the government's ability to deal with any flood crisis.

Around 70 per cent believed the country would be hit by floods again, while 53 per cent said they were worried floods of the same magnitude as last year would be repeated. Forty-six per cent said the flood threat was not a concern.

Around 54 per cent believed the timing was right for a Cabinet reshuffle, 25 per cent said it was premature and 18 per cent said it was overdue.

Twenty-nine per cent said the Commerce Minister should be replaced, 25 per cent the Education Minister, and 23 per cent said the Interior Minister. Asked why these ministers should be removed, most said they failed to solve rising prices and they disliked the policy of giving tablets to students, and the failure to prevent schools accepting tea money.

Asked what was causing instability in the government, 30 per cent of respondents said reconciliation bills, 20 per cent said corruption, 18 per cent said misbehaving politicians, 14 per cent said failure to stem rising prices, 14 per cent problems over charter amendment.

Meanwhile, Democrat party-list MP Ongart Klampaiboon suggested the government take serious action to prevent floods this year and not to adopt an attitude of window dressing in dealing with the problem.

The Democrat Party will check the number of canals in Bangkok and provinces which have yet to be dredged to prevent floods. The party received complaints from the public that many measures were not yet being implemented, such as the dredging of canals.