The Democrat Party will immediately pull out of the coalition government if corruption takes place within the administration, its secretary-general Dech-it Khaothong declared on Monday.
The newly-appointed deputy public health minister was responding on Monday to reporters’ questions about the Democrats’ anti-corruption stance.
Accompanied by his wife, Supaporn Kumnerdpol, and son, Saksit Khaothong, who is a Democrat Party MP for Songkhla, Mr Dech-it paid respects to the Phra Mae Thorani (Mother Earth Goddess) statue at the party’s headquarters on his first official day as deputy public health minister on Monday.
He said corruption and the issue of constitutional amendment were brought up at the special, first meeting of cabinet ministers on Sunday following Friday’s swearing-in ceremony before the King. “If there’s corruption in the government, the Democrat Party will immediately withdraw from the administration,” he said.
However, if the administration is graft-free, it will definitely serve out its term in office, he added.
Mr Dech-it said that before joining the government, the party, through its MPs, gathered feedback from constituents and long-time supporters.
He said he believed more than 90% of them supported the party being part of the coalition. However, the most vocal critics were those who never voted for Democrats while pitting people against the party. “No MP wants to lose an election. So, they made their decision carefully. I spoke to party leaders in my constituency, and I believe there is 100% local support for the decision [to join the government].
“If we have an opportunity to solve problems for the people, why not take it? With the coalition partnership, the party must make a difference and stand out,” he said.
The Democrat Party has been allocated two cabinet posts — a deputy public health minister and a minister of natural resources and environment, which is held by party leader Chalermchai Sri-orn. Mr Dech-it said the Democrat Party will appraise its performance as a coalition party every month, with an overall evaluation released every three to six months.
However, a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) survey, conducted on Sept 2-3 among 1,310 respondents aged 18 and over, showed 54% strongly opposed the Democrat Party joining the government, while another 14% had reservations.
In contrast, only 12% said they strongly supported the move and 11% said they tentatively supported the decision. About 6% of respondents said they weren’t interested.
When asked if they would vote for Democrat candidates in the next election, 41% said they would not, while only 17% would continue to support the party.