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Published on February 13, 2008

The Cabinet has ordered a review on certain controversial candidates applying for jobs as ministerial secretaries and advisers, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said yesterday.

"About half the candidates nominated by the People Power Party are deemed inappropriate for the job," he said. However, the prime minister declined to comment on the qualifications of Wan Yoobamrung, son of Interior Minister Chalerm, who has earned some notoriety for his behaviour.

When asked to comment on the proposed appointment of Chonsawat Asavahame, son of Puea Pandin Party chief adviser Vatana Asavahame, as assistant-secretary to the Interior minister, Samak replied: "I don't know what to say".

Appointments from the People Power would be postponed for one week - but there were no problems with appointments from other coalition parties.

Samak said he had concerns over certain proposed advisers to some of his Cabinet members.

"Ministers should not allow appointments of their advisers just for the sake of putting them on the payroll. They should think about their own image. It will be unfair to society," the premier said.

"I don't think there will be any problem within the [People Power] party. I need to save my own face as well as those of my Cabinet," he said.

In a related development, People Power MP Paijit Srivorakhan said that due to limitations imposed by relevant laws, the party had limited choices in appointing secretaries and advisers to Cabinet members.

Paijit said it appeared the prime minister was concerned about the image of certain appointees. However, he believed people with proper qualifications would be appointed and Samak would not describe the party's team of advisers as "ugly ducklings" - the term the PM used last week to describe his Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong, an assistant to the party's secretary-general, said the government should consider who could best serve the 63 million Thais, instead of placing cronies in political positions.

He said politicians with blemished records should not be selected for any positions, as the public would not accept them. Nor should the government place any of the banned 111 former Thai Rak Thai executives on the boards of state enterprises, as has been hinted.

"State enterprises are run for the benefit of the country, not to line the pockets of politicians. The reasoning that there is a skilled personnel shortage is just an excuse to find jobs for [the banned politicians]. We have 63 million people in Thailand so I'm sure we can find qualified people for the jobs," he said.

The Nation