Former Prime Minister dissects the 70 budget, slamming political interference in civil servant appointments and transfers that bypass capable officials, leading to demoralization and destruction of the bureaucracy.
On 9 September 2026 at the Parliament, during the House of Representatives session to consider the draft Budget Act for fiscal year 2570, second reading, Chuan Leekpai, party-list MP from the Democrat Party, rose to debate Section 20 concerning the Ministry of Interior's budget exceeding 227 billion baht. He warned the special committee reviewing the budget bill that although the Ministry of Interior plays a key role in public welfare and receives substantial funding, the budget will only be truly effective if managed by capable and efficient personnel.
Chuan said the most concerning issue under the current government is political interference in appointing and transferring civil servants. Politicians have moved less senior officials ahead of dedicated senior staff to install political interest representatives, causing good officials to lose motivation and seriously damaging the bureaucracy. He also highlighted issues of local examination fraud and rampant vote-buying. He recalled sending letters to the Ministry of Interior’s Permanent Secretary and the Police Chief on 27 January 2026, urging impartiality and crackdown on vote-buying, but to no avail, as officials nowadays fear politicians and hesitate to do what is right.
Chuan urged the committee and lawmakers not to neglect the country’s future by focusing solely on budget figures while ignoring the quality of personnel in management. He called on all parties to work together to find solutions to prevent further damage to the bureaucracy and the nation.