Thaksin should butt out, Abac poll finds

Thaksin should butt out, Abac poll finds

Most people want ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra to distance himself from politics in Thailand and give his sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a free hand in managing the country, a poll has found.

Abac Poll, conducted by Assumption University, last week asked 2,193 Thais in 17 provinces what they think about the Pheu-Thai led government's proposal to amend the constitution and the chances of reconciliation.
According to the poll, 68.9% of respondents said they wanted Thaksin to stop his political activities and let Ms Yingluck do her job by herself; 20.5% said the former premier should have a role in helping the country and its people; while 10.6% thought the man could do what he liked.
Asked if the government was pandering to Thaksin, 40.9% agreed while 19.7% believed the government was truly adhering to the nation's interest.
Regarding the government's plans to amend the charter, 53% of respondents disagreed with the plan, 55% thought the move was intended to serve a particular interest, and 76.9% regarded the amendment as not an urgent issue. But 46.7% supported the charter amendment and 44.9% thought it was for the benefit of the majority. About 51% held out no hope of national reconciliation, while 48.7% said they still had hope.