Judging from the people who were appointed to Surayud's Cabinet, which is dominated by technocrats, it is safe to assume this government wants to impart a sense of continuity. This is not a bad move given the fact that its first important task is to convince the international community that Thailand is now back in business and ready to pick up where it left off - when a military coup overthrew the Thaksin Shinawatra regime last month - and resume normal relations with the world.

Most of the appointees are considered old hands whose professional integrity is intact and who have been assigned to duties well-suited to their individual expertise. However, the appointments of a handful of members did raise some murmurs of disapproval, either because of past association with Thaksin or perceived connections with the military men behind the coup.

If blandness can be considered a virtue, then the Surayud administration has a lot going for it, at least in terms of predictability in policy direction and a disciplined approach to administering the country. To be fair, it must be said that as an interim government, the Surayud administration is not supposed to introduce new policies that the future democratically elected government will be legally bound to follow.

In other words, this government must not impose its will on the next democratic administration.

There is no ambiguity about what the Surayud government must do. This government is expected to root out corrupt elements from the country's political, economic and social life and restore peace in the strife-torn deep South.

People also count on the new government to bring to justice, in accordance with the due process of law, cheating politicians, their greedy cronies and collaborating government officials involved in numerous corruption scandals that took place under Thaksin's watch.

It is assumed that the downfall of the corruption-prone Thaksin government will improve the likelihood that corrupters will be successfully prosecuted, leading to convictions in the court of law and subsequent punishments.

Along the way, the new interim government is sure to face numerous tests.

Let's not forget that although the Surayud government came to power through a military coup and continues to be protected by the Council for National Security, its very existence and its effectiveness in administering the country hinge on its ability to maintain a delicate balance between taking bold actions that might be unpopular with certain interest groups to solve the country's structural problems, and retaining the goodwill of the general public.

At present, it appears most of the public is willing to make allowances so this government can do whatever is necessary to put the country's political system back on track to democratic reform, as well as create conditions leading to economic recovery and the peaceful resolution of the insurgency in the South. But don't expect the Thai people - who continue to hold on to their democratic rights and civil liberties despite the abrogation of 1997 Constitution - to remain passive spectators.

Sooner rather than later, the Surayud government will be put through its paces. It will be judged by the merits or demerits of its own actions. The pressure arising from high public expectations will come to bear on the new government. It will be subjected to criticisms and even mass protests.

While trying to achieve its objectives, the interim government will have its tolerance of public criticism, dissenting voices and even provocation put to the test. No one ever said that life would be easy for the interim government.