Thai opposition leader meets EU ambassador

BANGKOK, January 30 (TNA) - Thailand's opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva met the European Union (EU) Ambassador in Bangkok, David Lipman, Monday to exchange views on flood-related problems and rehabilitation plans in the country. After the meeting, Abhisit told journalists the EU ambassador was concerned that investors could not seek flood insurance at reasonable prices for their projects in Thailand and the issue could affect their decisions on running or expanding their businesses in the Thai economy, urging the Thai government to solve the problem soon. Abhisit pointed out although the Thai government has decided to raise a flood insurance fund, business operators in the country have not had access to the fund yet, and that solutions rest not only with money, but also with a good plan. The Democrat Party leader also commented that the Pheu Thai government's issuance of an executive decree to transfer debts of the Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) to the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and another executive decree for the government to borrow 350 billion baht appear to be irrelevant to water management and not an urgent matter. Besides, according to the opposition leader, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong admitted that the tasks will cost only 150 billion baht; so he considers that the two executive decrees are unconstitutional as they are not dealing with an urgent matter and his party has filed a petition with Bangkok's Constitutional Court, through the Thai Parliament President, to seek its ruling on the issue. (TNA)