By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THREE CABINET MEMBERS today (July 9) resigned as members of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party but none afforded to leave their cabinet seat.
The members of the so-called Si Kumarn (Four Infants) faction within the Palang Pracharath Party resigned as party members following the recent setting up of a new executive board of the party.
However, they all declined to resign as cabinet members, leaving it to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to decide.
The Si Kumarn faction members, who called it quits from the Palang Pracharath Party, included Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana, Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Minister Suvit Maesincee and Deputy Secretary General to the Prime Minister Kobsak Pootrakul.
Viewed as de facto leader of the faction, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak never registered himself as a party member.
Uttama and Sontirat were practically deposed from the posts of party leader and secretary general respectively by last month’s resignation of a majority members of the party’s executive board, thus warranting the setting up of a new one which eventually named Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan as new party leader.
Prawit has been largely viewed as de facto head of the party, which named Prayut as head of last year’s post-election government.
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Top: The three ministers announcing their resignation from the ruling party at the press conference today. Thai headline says, “Resigning from Palang Pracharath Party.” Photo: PostToday
