Democrats Deny Allies

The ruling Democrat party is giving its coalition partners a meagre share of the mid-year budget and keeping most of the benefits itself, says the opposition Puea Thai party. In an attempt to divide the coalition bloc, Puea Thai MP Chalerm Yubamrung told the House yesterday the budget bill would allocate money substantially to areas represented by the Democrat party rather than those dominated by its coalition partners.

The coalition government presented its mid-year budget bill to the House yesterday.

Instead of stimulating the national economy, the budget bill was designed to boost the popularity of the Democrat party, he said. The prime minister's central emergency fund alone would be worth as much as 4 billion baht, Mr Chalerm said.

''The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry which is important to most people will receive slightly over 2 billion baht. This is too small.

''The Transport Ministry will get only 1.5 billion baht which is also too small. The Commerce Ministry gets just 1.5 billion baht,'' he said.

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is under the supervision of the Chart Thai Pattana party while the ministries of transport and commerce are under the Bhumjaithai party.

Mr Chalerm said the mid-year budget would not stimulate the economy but was a form of vote-buying.

Puea Thai MP for Chiang Mai Surapong Towijakchaikul said the Democrats' coalition partners would get a small share of the mid-year budget and should be upset with their allocation.

Presenting the mid-year budget bill to the House, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said it was worth 116.7 billion baht.

Of this amount, 97.5 billion baht would go on economic stimulation initiatives.

The money would be paid as cost-of-living allowances for government personnel (2.6 billion baht), job-training courses for the unemployed (6.9 billion baht), and an emergency fund (4 billion baht).