• 
• 

Published on January 30, 2008

Samak Sundaravej, the new prime minister, will be heading a Cabinet whose members are largely "nominees" of the 111 former executives of the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party.

Samak yesterday received His Majesty the King's endorsement of his becoming Thailand's 25th premier. The royal command was delivered by House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat at Samak's Bangkok residence.

Samak quickly defended his, as well as ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's, loyalty to the monarchy in his brief speech and vowed to move the country forward.

Yongyuth, a key member of the People Power Party, also uttered his loyalty to the monarchy in the first few lines of his speech after his formal appointment as House Speaker.

Samak is expected to concurrently serve as defence minister in the new Cabinet line-up. Military reshuffles in April and October will hold the key to the battle for power between the People Power Party and the remnants of the military, who staged the coup in September 2006.

When Samak took over as head of People Power, he declared he was a nominee of Thaksin, who is living in exile. Since then he has not shown any inclination to erase this perception.

Somchai Wongsawat, a brother-in-law of Thaksin, has emerged as a key nominee in the Cabinet. He is expected to serve as deputy prime minister and concurrently as culture minister. Somchai, a former permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, is married to Yaowapha, Thaksin's sister.

He has been responsible for filling the Cabinet posts by negotiating with the coalition partners from five other parties.

He went to Rama Hospital, where Banharn Silapa-archa was receiving medical treatment, and invited him to join the coalition government. Somchai also brokered a deal with Vatana Asavahame, chairman of the Puea Pandin Party, eventually making it possible to bring the party into the coalition.

Surapong Suebwonglee, the secretary-general of the People Power Party, is expected to take over as finance minister. He is one of the innermost members of the Thaksin's circle.

Chalerm Yoobamrung is tipped to become interior minister.

Chai Chidchob, the father of Newin Chidchob, is likely to serve as minister of the Office of the Prime Minister. He has been a Buri Ram MP for several decades but has never served as a minister because his son played a more prominent role. However, Newin has been banned from politics for five years.

Apart from his own father, Newin is sending two of his confidants to serve in the Cabinet. Songsak Thongsri, a Buri Ram MP, is said to become deputy agriculture minister, while Supol Fong-ngarm will likely serve as deputy interior minister.

Santi Promphat, a party-list MP of the People Power Party, is said to take over as transport and communication minister. He is close to Pongsak Ruktaphong-pisal, a confidant of Thaksin who used to run the ministry.

Wutthipong Chaisang, a younger brother of Chaturon Chaisang, is tipped to become science and technology minister. Chaturon, a former head of the defunct Thai Rak Thai, has also been banned from politics for five years.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, a former executive of the Thai Rak Thai, is said to be sending her representative, Sutha Chansaeng, a Bangkok MP, to become social development and human security minister.

Anongwan Thepsuthin - the wife of Somsak Thepsuthin, also banned from politics and a key member of the Matchima Thipataya Party - is said to become resources and environment minister. Meanwhile, Suwat Liptapanlop, a key member of Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, will have his wife - Poonpirom Liptapanlop - serve as health minister.

Noppadon Pattama and Jakrapob Penkair, who have devoted their services wholeheartedly to Thaksin, will be rewarded handsomely for their loyalty and dedication. Noppadon is expected to become foreign minister, while Chakrapob as a minister of the Office of the Prime Minister will be in charge of government media.

Srimuang Charoensiri, a People Power party-list member from Zone 3, is expected to become energy minister. As a former chairman of the Senate committee on telecommunications, he was embroiled in a scandal to select members to serve on the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC). The Administrative Court ended up nullifying the list of nominees, leading to a process to pick new members.

Sompong Amornwiwat, who played a key role in bringing the Thai Rak Thai MPs under the People Power wing, looks set to become a deputy prime minister.

Sukhum Nualsakul, a political-science professor from Ramkhamhaeng University, said most people expected the Cabinet would come from nominees of the former executives of the Thai Rak Thai, but they never expected it would be this obvious.

"If the nominees were of some quality, then we might say OK. But as it has turned out, they do not care about quality at all, or whether the candidates are suitable for the jobs," he said.

"This has destroyed credibility and trust even among those who want to believe the new government will aim to forge unity in the country. It looks like a payback for their service, or an attempt to recoup the investment from the election."

Trakul Meechai, a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University, said the potential Cabinet line-up showed that politicians do not care about the law at all.

"They are only interested in their own law. Although the law bars these politicians from getting involved in politics, in reality it can't do anything," he said.

"The Cabinet may turn out to be a rubber stamp. The ministers will simply serve as postmen or postwomen who bring the decisions of those working behind the scenes to inform the rubber-stamp Cabinet."

Piyanart Srivalo,

Somroutai Sapsomboon

The Nation