By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PALANG PRACHARATH leader Prawit Wongsuwan will definitely not take a defence minister’s seat or any others in the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as otherwise speculated.
Prawit has already decided against taking the defence portfolio for himself under the Bhumjaithai-led coalition government though he used to be an army chief and a defence minister in previous governments, according to Palang Pracharath secretary-general Santi Prompat.
Despite a reported offer from the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob for the Palang Pracharath leader to take the defence minister’s seat alongside a deputy prime minister’s seat to hold in concurrent fashion, Prawit has personally chosen to turn it down and only continue to perform as the sole Palang Pracharath party-listed MP, Santi said.
Nevertheless, Palang Pracharath will likely be given four ministerial seats in Anutin’s cabinet including that of a defence minister who might probably not be a current MP but a certain outsider to be named by Prawit’s camp.
Prominent figures of Prawit’s camp who will likely assume ministerial seats in the Bhumjaithai-led cabinet included Santi, speculated to be named deputy prime minister-cum-public health minister, and MP Trinud Thienthong.
In another development, de facto Klatham boss/MP Thammant Prompao is speculated to be named one of the partisan ministers in Anutin’s cabinet alongside six other Klatham figures including Klatham leader Narumon Pinyosinwat, MP Attakorn Sirilathayakorn, MP Pi Lick and Akhara Prompao.
Thammanat is speculated to be named tourism & sports minister whilst Narumon and Attakorn are expected to retain their cabinet seats as education minister and agriculture & cooperatives minister respectively.
The Ruam Thai Sang Chart faction of MPs who had endorsed Friday’s naming of Anutin for prime minister will likely be given three ministerial seats including one for Suchart Chomklin, head of the faction.
A group of Pheu Thai renegade MPs who had also voted the Bhumjaithai leader for prime minister is expected to be given two ministerial seats including MP Sakda Wichiensilp, head of the renegade group. So is a group of three Democrat renegade MPs speculated to be given a ministerial seat.
Meanwhile, the ruling Bhumjaithai will likely take 14 ministerial seats in cabinet including Anutin who will likely perform in concurrent fashion as interior minister after he had earlier assumed that powerful post in a previous Pheu Thai-led government, Bhumjaithai secretary-general/MP/Newin’s son Chaichanok Chidchob, MP Paradorn Prisnanuntakul and Pipat Ratchakitprakarn.
Interior ministers are deemed practically influential to provincial and local administrations nationwide, especially during a run-up to a general election. Those government officials under control of the Ministry of Interior range from provincial governors and chief district officers, heads of provincial administrations, also known as Or Bor Jor, and mayors to heads of subdistrict administrations, also known as Or Bor Tor, kamnan (subdistrict headmen) and puyaibaan (village headmen).
In response to the People’s conditional support for his elected premiership, Anutin has formally pledged to dissolve the House of Representatives to call a general election in four months after his government’s policy statement has been addressed at parliament and to simultaneously hold a public referendum for the people nationwide to decide whether the current, coup junta-designed constitution should be amended as a whole by an elected Constitution Amendment Committee.
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Palang Pracharat leader Prawit Wongsuwan. Photo above: Thai Rath, Front Page: Naewna
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