By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A NEW LINEUP of a Bhumjaithai-led cabinet of ministers will likely be submitted on the upcoming Monday to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn for formal approval, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed over the weekend.
Following last month’s general election, the Anutin II cabinet lineup reportedly consists of 36 ministers, 28 of whom are named under the quota of the ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai, core of a coalition government surreptitiously steered by de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, and eight others under the quota of the neo-conservative Pheu Thai remotely guided by de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra.
After the new cabinet lineup, scheduled to be forwarded to the Monarch for formal endorsement on the upcoming Monday, has been formally approved, the re-elected prime minister will lead them to a royal audience to attend an oath-taking ritual before the Monarch.
Then, the prime minister will formally deliver the Bhumjaithai-led government’s policy statement at parliament sooner than later next month before all members of his cabinet begin to help him run the country.
Newin’s camp will take charge of significant portfolios such as the interior, defence, transport, public health and energy portfolios whilst Thaksin’s camp will run the agriculture & cooperatives, education, higher education, science, research & innovation, labour and social development & human security portfolios.
Largely speculated to assume the transport portfolio is Pipat Ratchakitprakarn who directed the Bhumjaithai electoral campaign for southern constituencies whilst Pattana Prompat will likely assume the public health portfolio and Ekanat Prompan who skipped over from the divided Ruam Thai Sang Chart to Newin’s camp will likely take the energy portfolio. Pipat and Pattana will hold onto the same positions in the Anutin II cabinet as they are today under the name of a Bhumjaithai-led, caretaker government.
Under the Bhumjaithai quota, Adul Boonthamcharoen will likely be named defence minister, Ruthapol Naovarat justice minister and Surasak Pancharoenworakul tourism & sports minister, among others.
The re-elected prime minister will likely take charge of the interior portfolio in concurrent fashion with assistance from three deputy interior ministers whilst three prominent technocrats will be named deputy prime ministers and assume portfolio-attached ministerial seats in concurrent fashion, including Ekniti Nitithanprapart, Supajee Suthumpun and Sihasak Puangketkaew for the finance, commerce and foreign affairs portfolios respectively whilst former Council of State secretary-general Pakorn Nilprapan will likely be named a deputy prime minister in charge of the government’s legal affairs and Bhumjaithai MP Songsak Thongsri, a right-hand man for the de facto party boss, will be named another deputy prime minister, albeit in charge of yet-unspecified government affairs.
Ekniti, Supajee and Sihasak have been holding onto their respective positions under today’s caretaker government headed by Anutin who concurrently acts as leader of the Bhumjaithai for whom a majority of 291 out of a total 500 MPs are lending solid support, compared to 209 elected lawmakers in the opposition bloc.
Largely speculated to be named a deputy prime minister in addition to higher education, science, research & innovation minister to assume in concurrent fashion is Thaksin’s nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat whilst the agriculture & cooperatives portfolio will likely be given to Suriya Juangroongruangkit who directed the Pheu Thai electoral campaign and the education portfolio will likely be handed to Julapun Amornvivat, nominal leader of Thaksin’s camp who have gotten 74 MPs and become the second largest coalition partner, compared to 192 MPs attached to Newin’s camp.
A dozen splinter parties most of whom have only one or a few MPs each have been brought onto the Bhumjaithai bandwagon of government whilst the ultra-conservative Klatham under de facto party boss Thammanat Prompao who secured 58 MP seats were denied the opportunity to join and thrown into the opposition bloc alongside the reformist People’s with 119 MPs and the Old School conservative Democrats with 21 MPs.
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Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Photos – Amarin TV
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