Dr Warong Dejkijwikrom claimed there were abnormalities in the planned appointment of the deputy director general of the Health Department and the deputy secretary general of the Food and Drug Administration.

He said Mongkol was attempting to get his close aids into senior positions even though they lacked the right qual¬ifications.

Warong said Mongkol's people had not passed a high level qualification which permits them to train officials.

"The minister's behaviour is shown to be that of a political official clearly trying to interfere in the transfers because there's an official letter which is putting pressure on [appointment] committee chairman Yuth Bodharamik," he said.

Yuth had announced officials seeking positions of level 9 or higher would have to have passed the advanced train¬ing qualification as specified under Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules.

He said on November 22, the minister's secretary general had sent a let¬ter to the ministry's permanent secre¬tary seeking to have Yuth revoke his announcement.

Warong said it referred to a meeting of senior officials two days earlier at which Yuth had revealed the deci¬sion on qualifications. Mongkol, he said, believed this would preclude provincial health or hospital directors from advancement.

"As I see it, the minister is trying to get his aids into the two posts. So his action is against the law and is also immoral," Warong said.

"The minister should leave it to the committee chairman to make the selec¬tions on December 18. If he continues to interfere, I will do something to stop him," he said.

Yossawadee Hongthong

 The Nation