Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha should attach more importance to the country's administration than to problems in the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), according to the result of an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.
The pollsters interviewed 1,262 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country on July 4-5 to ask them about problems in the PPRP, leader of the multi-party coalition under Gen Prayut's premiership.
A new cabinet line-up comprising members of parties in the coalition has been forwarded to His Majesty the King.
Two questions were raised in the survey, both open to more than one answer.
Asked what they think about problems in the PPRP regarding the formation of the new government during the past week, the answers varied as follows:
- The PPRP is obviously plagued with internal rifts, 26.9%;
- Gen Prayut lacks understanding of power-sharing in democracy, 20.1%;
- Gen Prayut has done all he can to get the best cabinet, 19.4%;
- Differences of opinion are normal in democracy, 18.5%;
- PPRP's Sam Mitr faction has played old-fashioned politics, using the number of MPs to apply pressure for cabinet seats, 16.6%;
- Sam Mitr powerbroker Suriya Jungrungreangkit should keep his word that he would not take a cabinet seat, 10.5%;
- The Sam Mitr faction should be given cabinet posts as promised by senior PPRP members, 7%;
- Suriya Jungrungreangkit should be given the post of energy minister, 2.1%;
- Suriya Jungrungreangkit is suitable for the post of industry minister, 1.2%;
- Gen Prayut has taken too much time to form the government, causing the people to get fed up with politics, 0.9%;
Asked what political actions Gen Prayut should take in the future, the answers were as follows:
- Gen Prayut should attach more importance to the country's administration than to problems in the PPRP, 44.7%;
- If there are too many problems, he should resign as prime minister, 28.5%:
- If burdened with too many problems, he should dissolve the parliament and call a new election, 24.2%;
- There should be a fair distribition of power, for the government's survival, 22.5%;
- He should be decisive, although the government could be short-lived, 12.8%;
- MPs who are disappointed with not getting cabinet posts should be given other political posts, 6%;
- Gen Prayut should not take the post of PPRP leader, to distance himself from problems in the party, 5.2%;
- He should take the PPRP leadership to solve problems in the party, 5.2%;
- He should look for "cobras" in the opposition wing for support in case of a political crisis, 2.2%