Too many lists could lead to listless Cabinet?

Normally, it is the secretary-general of the core party or a government manager who comes up with a Cabinet line-up. But this time, the secretary-general of the principle People Power Party Surapong Suebwonglee, who is one of the Gang of Four and is estranged from the "the big boss", has been sidelined.

So obviously, the duty of coming up with a Cabinet list was left in the hands of the PM.

However, with his lack of experience, Somchai has been handling the matter quite poorly. He has been letting politicians lobby for their favourite positions directly, face-to-face, at his home. Also, he has reportedly been telling one and all that he would take their applications into consideration - an action some people say is "far too kind".

It is understandable though. Somchai has no right-hand men apart from a few of the 111 banned former Thai Rak Thai politicians, and his wife Yaowapa.

That's probably why a team of banned politicians from the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party Yongyuth Tiyapairat, Sudarat Keyuraphan, caretaker Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat, and MP Chalerm Yoobumrung was created to come up with the list.

However, this team does not have the final say. The line-up has to be sent to the higher ups, and of course the big boss in London, for the ultimate nod - one of the reasons why politicians have so many different avenues to lobby.

Some can go to Yaowapa, some can beg for favours with the team, while others can fly to London. It is this that is leading to conflicts.

Luckily, these very conflicts have helped the team to break up the group backing the influential politician, Newin Chidchob. All it had to do was lure some Friends of Newin members away with offers of portfolios - reducing the group of "friends" from 73 to just 25.

In the current caretaker Cabinet, Newin has four seats, but in the new one he would be only given two, which could be occupied by Pongpan Sunthornchai and Sophon Salum.

The current and future Deputy Interior Minister Supon Fongngam and the current and future Deputy Agriculture Minister Theerachai Saenkaew, who were both avid Newin supporters once, have pulled away, while acting Deputy Education Minister Pongsakorn Annopporn - another Newin supporter - is expected to be left out of the new line-up.

piyanart@nationgroup.com