Chalerm in a lead role grilling gov't but not opposition leader

"My party has resolved to assign me the job of chairma of Pheu Thai MPs but I am not ready to become the opposition leader," he said.

Under the Constitution, the position of opposition leader is obliged to be the leader of an opposition party and incumbent Pheu Thai leader is Yongyuth Wichaidit who has no House seat, he said.

Since Yongyuth has just assumed his party leadership, it is inconvenient to replace him at this juncture, he said, adding that he was unprepared himself to lead the party with 187 MPs.

He said he found it suitable for Yongyuth to take charge of the party while he chaired the opposition bench without becoming the opposition leader.

In regard to the censure, he said his party has yet to finalise its decision whether to file a no-confidence motion.

He also took a swipe at the Democrats for appointing core supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy as political office holders.

"It is now clear that the Democrat Party is definitely linked to the PAD," he said, alluding to the suspicion that when they were in the opposition, the Democrats were secretly behind PAD-led street protests.

The Cabinet approved the appointments for ministerial secretaries and advisers, including the naming of lawyer Prapan Koonmee, seen as close to the PAD, as secretary to the Science minister.

Democrat leaders, including the prime minister, argued that Prapan's appointment was not based on his linkage to the PAD but on his qualifications and works in the party affairs.