The second phase of the government’s 10,000-baht handout programme, coming just days before provincial elections, will inevitably be viewed as vote-buying by some people, People’s Party MP Pakornwut Udompipatskul said on Tuesday.
Residents in 47 provinces will be voting on Saturday for Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) presidents and members. The government on Monday delivered 10,000-baht handouts to the bank accounts of 3 million elderly people, who tend to vote more regularly than younger people.
Mr Pakornwut, who is also the chief opposition whip, said there were concerns about whether the timing of the handout to people over age 60 would affect the outcome of the elections.
“We trust the public understands that this government policy was funded by taxpayers,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of evaluating the programme’s effectiveness to see whether it leads to measurable economic improvement as the Pheu Thai Party has been promising. Further assessment is needed after the programme’s completion, he added.
The third phase of the handout is expected to take place in April.
“It might not entirely be about vote-buying, though suspicions are understandable as it coincides with a major festival, Songkran,” Mr Pakornwut said.
However, the timing is probably appropriate since the intent is to give the economy a lift by stimulating spending during the biggest holiday of the year, he added.
Meanwhile, Mr Pakornwut encouraged people to exercise their right to vote on Saturday.
“This election directly impacts your [local residents] hometowns, with billions of baht in budgets at stake, as the next four years will shape the face of your province,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor for any irregularities during the election, as we always do.”
The People’s Party has been campaigning hard to get candidates elected at the provincial level and expand its political network. But in earlier PAO elections, it has yet to see any of its candidates elected to top posts.
Still, Mr Pakornwut described the feedback the public had been giving People’s Party candidates as satisfactory and encouraging.
He praised the strong efforts of the party’s campaign teams, emphasising their dedication to building a mass movement.
“We are confident in our support base,” he said. “While outcomes will vary across provinces, we respect our competitors, many of whom have strong voter bases. Still, we believe we can go on.”
