<< Thai Premier Surayud Chulanont

Speaking to the Chamber of Commerce assembly yesterday, Gen Surayud said the government would do the best it could during its one-year term, based on moral integrity and good governance.

His administration would put in place solidarity, political reform, a charter drafted with public input, legislative foundations and reduce income disparities, he said.

Other tasks are to reform education and public administration and to maintain security. Administrators, he said, should be role models of the five precepts and good governance.

The precepts are the basic ethical guidelines, which forbid killing, stealing, adultery, telling lies and drinking alcohol.

Meanwhile, a survey by the economic-forecast centre of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce found most of the 243 chamber members interviewed wanted a swift return to political stability.

The centre forecast economic growth for the year 2007 at 4.5-5%, with a turnaround anticipated in the third quarter, on the condition that politics stabilises.