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Published on February 15, 2008

Finance Minister Surapong Suebwon-glee asserted yesterday that the 111 banned former Thai Rak Thai Party executives have the right to become state-enterprise board members.

They can do so as long as there is no conflict of interest and because there is no law preventing them from doing so, said Surapong, who is also secretary-general of the ruling People Power Party.

"If they have no conflict of interest, there should be no problem for them to serve. But if they hold shares that can be regarded as conflict of interest, they may not be qualified," he said.

PPP deputy secretary-general Sukhumpong Ngonkam, a party legal expert, also remained defiant that the 111 banned executives were entitled to sit on state-enterprise boards.

He said the Constitution Tribunal ruling stripped the 111 of their electoral rights for five years. They can hold political office, although they may not be appointed ministers, he asserted.

He said state-enterprise law did not ban people whose electoral-process rights had been removed.

"With these bans put on them, we should not restrict their rights to any extent more than they already have," he said.

The 111 executives are qualified to sit on boards of state enterprises because of their previous experience in running the country, he said.

Democrat Party assistant secretary-general Thepthai Senpong questioned Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee's idea to appoint the 111 to state-enterprise boards.

"If society opposes the move, the prime minister must put a stop to the plan,'' he said.

He suspected People Power was simply floating the idea to test public reaction.

Thepthai insisted the banned executives did not meet the qualifications required to sit on state-enterprise boards.

"If state enterprises were assets of the Shinawatra family, nobody would oppose the idea. But state enterprises are not agencies to provide jobs to unemployed politicians, and not the place for politicians to reap interest,'' he said.

Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Korn Chatikavanij said the Democrats strongly opposed the move. It clearly ran against good governance.

"It is not correct or appropriate because the 111 former executives are directly linked to People Power. If they are appointed to state-enterprise boards, they risk being accused of conflict of interest, and providing favours to People Power instead of protecting the public interest,'' he said.

Korn suggested the idea was "destructive" and dragged state enterprises into politics.

He criticised Surapong for unofficially taking on Pansak Winyaratn, once an economic adviser to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He said this required immediate action. He feared confidential information could be leaked.

He called on Surapong to officially appoint Pansak so that both were accountable for their actions.

Surapong said yesterday he regarded Pansak as a capable adviser even though he was not officially appointed.

The Nation