By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A POTENTIAL Bhumjaithai-led government has so far secured an overwhelming majority of 344 designate-MPs from over a dozen coalition partners including the Pheu Thai and finally the Klatham, all of who will be primarily obliged to vote Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for head of the executive branch following the recent general election.
The ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai surreptitiously steered by de facto party boss Newin Chidchob with an army of 193 designate-MPs under his command has so far aligned with the neo-conservative Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra with 74 designate-MPs and the ultra-conservative Klatham with 58 designate-MPs, plus 19 others from a dozen splinter parties with only one or a few designate-MPs each to make a stable coalition government with solid support from the overwhelming majority of 344 out of a total 500 elected lawmakers.
Nevertheless, de facto Klatham boss Thammanat Prompao will likely not be named member of a future Bhumjaithai-led cabinet of ministers due to sustained allegations of his personal connections with transnational scam and money-laundering suspects which could possibly otherwise jeopardize Anutin’s elected premiership whilst several of his party’s rank and file will almost certainly assume ministerial seats alongside those of other coalition partners in proportion to the number of their respective designate-lawmakers.
Given a maximum of 36 persons to assume cabinet seats including the prime minister as provided by law, a total of 32 persons from all coalition partners not including the head of government will likely be named members of cabinet whilst three “non-political technocrats” are reportedly reserved to continue to take charge of their current portfolios, namely Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapat, Commerce Minister Supajee Suthumpun and Foreign Minister Sihasak Puangketkaew. Consequently, the ratio between a member of cabinet and the number of supportive coalition MPs will likely be 1:10 or 1:11.
Meanwhile, Thaksin’s nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat will likely decline to take any ministerial seat in the Anutin II cabinet for “personal reasons” after he had unsuccessfully contested as one of a trio Pheu Thai candidates for prime minister in the general election whilst his running mates, namely Pheu Thai electoral campaign director Suriya Juangroongruangkit and Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat, will undoubtedly accept ministerial seats.
The Bhumjaithai will almost certainly take charge of major national security and economic portfolios such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence, among others, whilst the Pheu Thai will likely run social portfolios such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Social Development & Human Security, among others.
However, the Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives and the Ministry of Tourism & Sports which had been earlier run by Thammanat’s camp will likely come under control of Newin’s camp.
In another development, the reformist People’s who emerged as the second largest elected party with 118 designate-MPs, the Old School conservative Democrats coming out as the fifth largest elected party with 22 designate-MPs and the predominantly-Muslim Prachachart with five designate-MPs will be attached to the opposition bloc at parliament alongside a few splinter camps.
CAPTONS:
Top and Front Page – Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Photos – PPTVHD36
Insert – De facto Klatham boss Thammanat Prompao attending a party meeting. Photo – Naewna
Also read:
Klatham tipped to be brought in Bhumjaithai-led govt without Thammanat in cabinet
Klatham probably kept out of Bhumjaithai-led coalition
Whether Klatham joins coalition bandwagon depends on de facto Bhumjaithai boss
Newin-Thammanat talk over coalition govt setup denied
Central Administrative Court accepts lawsuit over barcoded, QR coded ballots
Bhumjaithai, Pheu Thai hold talk on coalition govt setup
Election might be called null and void, given barcodes, QR codes on voting ballots
Election Commission dismisses call for recount of votes in Chonburi
Mysteriously unequal totals of constituency/party ballots reported
Some referees ‘bought’ to rig votes for rogue contestants
Dozen designated People’s MPs retroactively charged with lese majeste lawsuit
