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Published on September 26, 2007

Retiring Army chief General Sonthi Boon-yaratglin is likely to double as interior minister and deputy premier in charge of security, as the embattled Aree Wongsearaya is set to quit, a Government House source said yesterday.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said in New York yesterday he would offer a Cabinet post to utilise Sonthi, who is due to retire on Sunday.

"The chairman of the Council for National Security will have nothing to do when he retires from the Army's top job [at the end of this month]. I will ask him if he's interested in the portfolio for security affairs," he told reporters.

The premier said he did not think a move to bring Sonthi into the government would create a perception his administration was under the influence of the Council for National Security (CNS).

Sonthi jokingly asked reporters yesterday for directions to the deputy prime minister's office in the Government House compound.

The CNS chief said he would accept the post if Surayud asked him to join as deputy prime minister overseeing security affairs. Asked if he would also become interior minister, the general said he would talk to Surayud first. He had yet to talk to Aree about the matter.

Interior Minister Aree was under mounting pressure yesterday to resign. Veera Somkwamkid, secretary-general of the Anti-Corruption People's Network, filed a complaint with the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC), asking it to investigate the minister's conduct.

NCCC spokesman Klanarong Chantik said Aree should have been disqualified when he served as deputy education minister in the Thaksin government as he held a 20-per-cent stake in a company at that time - in breach of asset regulations.

Surayud needs to shuffle his Cabinet again as two ministers are stepping down after they were found to have exceeded the 5 per-cent cap on shareholdings imposed in 2000.

Information and Communi-cations Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom and Deputy Commerce Minister Oranuj Osatananda have said they will quit the Cabinet.

Surayud said he would need to fill the vacant positions because they were important. "I am not sure whom I can talk to in taking up the posts because the government has very little time left. Legally, they can stay on but many people have different feelings on the issue. But I feel uncomfortable with the situation."

The new Constitution bars Cabinet members from holding more than 5 per cent in a business but the rule was not applied to the interim Cabinet.

Surayud said he would make minor changes to the Cabinet only for the ministries needing them when he returns at the end of this week from the United Nations General Assembly.

"I will ask [Commerce Minister] Krirk-krai [Jirapaet] if he needs a deputy to replace the one vacating the post. But for the ICT Ministry we really need somebody to fill in as it has no deputy minister," he said.

It was difficult to make changes in the Cabinet since his government was due to leave office in a few months, he said.

The new ministers would have only one month to function fully before the official announcement of the general election, which would automatically make them caretaker ministers.

Surayud saw no problem bringing Sonthi into the Cabinet - even though, technically, the junta chief could sack him - as Sonthi would be serving only a month before the government wound up its work.

Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said there was nothing to fear if Sonthi took Aree's position, as the Election Commission (EC) would manage the ballot, not the Interior Ministry.

Moreover, if Sonthi took charge of the Interior Ministry it would only be for a few months - if he replaces Aree. But national security was paramount, whether before or during election, he said.

However, Ramkhamhaeng University political scientist Asadang Panikabutr said Sonthi replacing Aree could lead to political unfairness. "This is dangerous as it might be a plan to block a political party through state power," he said.

National security agencies might have evaluated the government's achievement especially in the referendum in the Northeast. Aree had failed in that regard, so Sonthi may have decided to take control, Asadang said.

Sonthi's appointment could be a dilemma, and look bad in foreign eyes such as the EU, as the government might interfere with the election through state power.

The EC must show its ability and be neutral in organising the election, he said.

Supalak G Khundee,

Panya Thiewsangwan,

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation