Vote for new premier scheduled for Monday

If their coalition of 242 MPs remains intact, Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the opposition Democrat Party, which claims support from three minor parties and the Newin Chidchob faction from the former ruling coalition, will head the new administration.

The Democrats would take 15 Cabinet seats while the rest of the portfolios would go to Puea Pandin, Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, and the Chart Thai parties.

According to Democrat sources, the former government parties would retain all their previous Cabinet slots, while the Democrats and selected outsiders take charge of economic, national security and other key portfolios.

Abhisit would be premier and education minister, while MR Chatu Mongkol Sonakul, a former permanent secretary for finance and Bank of Thailand governor, is a candidate for the post of finance minister.

Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of the Democrat party, would be Interior minister while Gen Pravit Wongsuwan, a former Army chief, is a candidate for the post of Defence minister.

Kiat Sithi-amorn, a senior executive of Democrat Party, would be Commerce minister, while Kasit Pirom is a candidate for the post of Foreign minister.

Satit Wongnongtoey, another key Democrat figure, would be PM's Office Minister overseeing the government's mass media outlets.

As for other parties in the coalition government, Maj Gen Sanan Kachornprasart, from Chart Thai, will be deputy premier and Agriculture minister.

The Newin faction, meanwhile, has sought the transport portfolio for Chai Chidchob and the deputy transport portfolio for Sophon Sarlum.

The Industry portfolio would be controlled by the Puea Pandin Party, while the Energy portfolio would be given to Matchima Thipatai.

The Democrats also invited Snoh Thienthong, leader of the five-member Pracharaj Party to join the coalition, by offering the Labour portfolio to his wife, Uraiwan.

Meanwhile, Nattawut Saikreu, spokesman for the caretaker government, said ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra would still phone-in live tomorrow to talk to his supporters during a gathering at the National Stadium.

The Pheu Thai party, set up recently for MPs from disbanded People Power Party, has reportedly been trying to woo back former government MPs from the Democrats' coalition.

Nattawut said Thaksin's phone-in could lead to a change of heart by some former government MPs and dash the Democrats' hopes of forming the next government.

Of the 438-member House, the Pheu Thai Party now has about 193 MPs plus another five MPs belonging to Pracharaj, which has yet to swap sides.

Earlier, the caretaker government could also have resorted to dissolving the House ahead of the new PM vote, but such a move appears to be highly unlikely now.

Yesterday, the Constitution Court said it would make a ruling on Tuesday (Dec 16) on whether Chaovarat Charnvirakul, the caretaker PM, has legal authority to dissolve the House and call a new election.

The Constitution Court, however, dismissed a petition to rule on the status of party-list MPs in the wake of the dissolution of three former government parties.