No rifts between PM, military: 1st army chief

After Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had, on Thursday, sought and received the Cabinet approval to consolidate his emergency power via some 20 laws, conflicting theories spread on Samak's true intentions.

Many see the prime minister preparing to crackdown on protesters by taking the emergency mandate away from Army chief General Anupong Paochinda to himself to order to have a direct command over the soldiers.

Some said Samak wanted to foil a coup plot allegedly being hatched by the top brass.

Prayuth tried to allay concern by saying that the Thursday's Cabinet decision is meant to sort out legal formalities relating to a state of emergency in Bangkok.

On Tuesday when the government rushed to place the capital under emergency, Samak named Anupong to take charge of executing draconian security measures in order to restore social order. But the prime minister skipped many formalities that needed to be done in order to clarify the jurisdiction for various agencies.

Under the emergency provisions, the prime minister is the designated enforcer of emergency power and he is obliged to delegate his responsibilities via a clear chain of command as specified on Thursday.

In the newly-formed command chain, Anupong will dispense his duties in enforcing emergency measures through the State of Emergency Command which comprises of civilian, police and military officials.

Anupong is to report directly to the prime minister.