Buri Ram governor Mongkol Surasajja said on Friday that everything is ready for the visit to the northeastern province by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, including security measures.
Mr Mongkol said he had coordinated with the military and police to ensure the premier's safety.
The governor admitted that red-shirt people were active at a low level in his province, but he did not expect any violence.
Interior Minister Chavarat Charnveerakul and the leader of Friends of Newin, Newin Chidchob, had not given any special instructions for the prime minister’s visit.
Mr Abhisit had said yesterday that he plans to visit provinces in the Northeast to meet local people to promote his economic stimulus package and to talk to them about what the government can do to help ease their problems Buri Ram would be the first destination of his Isan tour.
Buri Ram is the political stronghold of Mr Newin. Observers said Mr Abhisit’s visit to the region, and particularly Buri Ram, is meant to show support for Mr Newin, strengthen government unity and woo voters.
Senior Democrat MP Suthas Ngernmuen said yesterday that he disagreed with the premier’s choice of Buri Ram as the first stop of his tour to the Northeast.
The veteran politician said Mr Abhisit could go to any province in the region. He did not need any one person’s influence.
The premier had never sought advice on the trip from him or other northern MPs of the Democrat Party.
Mr Suthas said if the ruling party assigned its main coalition partner Bhumjaithai to oversee the Northeast in the next election, as reported by the media, he would resign from the party as he strongly disagreed with the idea.
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- Writer: BangkokPost.com
