New Cabinet lineup confirmed
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont Friday confirmed he had finalised the list of new ministers tasked to speed up the work on social affairs, putting to rest the speculation on possible changes in the economic and security portfolios.
"The new lineup will include a new deputy minister for the Interior who will be in charge of facilitating the referendum on the new constitution," Surayud said.He said the announcement for the Cabinet reshuffle would take place next week following the royal approval. "I would rather not say ahead of time as everyone will learn the details next week," he said, refusing to reveal the names and numbers of newcomers to his Cabinet. Prasarn Maruekapitak, the subcommittee chairman in charge of the government's public relations, said Surayud had assigned his ministers to step up the awareness campaign designed to "wean villagers off populist policies". "Each Cabinet member has been tasked to make more field trips to the provinces under their charge in order to keep in touch with villagers and raise awareness on the economic sufficiency theory," he said. The awareness campaign is slated to commence next month, he said. Regarding contacts with Thai expats and students abroad, a high-level delegation will visit England and Germany between May 17 and May 26 to explain the September coup and the restoration of democratic rule, he said. The delegation is to include ex-ambassador Surapong Chaiyanam, social critic Sulak Sivaraksa and exsenator Kraisak Choonhavan. The Nation
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