Thai military-appointed PM gains popularity

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The popularity of Thailand’s Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has increased nearly two months after military leaders picked him to lead an interim government after the bloodless Sept. 19 coup, an independent poll said on Sunday.

Public approval of Surayud’s premiership rose to 70.5 percent in the latest ABAC poll, up from 55.2 percent on Nov. 11 and 60.9 percent in early October, shortly after he took the job. Surayud, 63, was a retired army chief and advisor to King Bhumibol Adulyadej when he was asked by coup leaders to replace ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Surayud has said his one-year agenda is to fight corruption, improve governance, overhaul the justice system and accelerate political reforms.

The poll, based on a survey of 4,195 people in 18 Thai provinces last week, showed 71.3 percent believed in Surayud’s sincerity in working for national interests without harbouring personal political ambitions.

According to the same poll, Thaksin’s national popularity fell to 15.8 percent from 34.5 percent in February this year and 56.2 percent in mid-2005. It said even in Thaksin’s stronghold in rural north-eastern Thailand, he commanded only 30.1 percent public support compared with 57.2 percent for Surayud.

Thaksin is currently in exile in China.

Some 63 percent of respondents in the poll said the former telecoms tycoon should retire from politics while 8.1 percent said he should attempt a political comeback

 

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