Efforts made to keep Prawit on side amid police row

Pol General Patcharawat was assigned by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Wednesday to work in the south-ern border provinces until August 18, following the police chief's early return from China. The gov-ernment had appointed Pol General Vichien Photphospi as acting police chief during the trip.

On the surface, there are some signs of compromise and a win-win game.

First, Patcharawat's brother General Prawit seems satisfied with the conflict resolution between his brother and the PM. According to General Noppadol Intapanya, the Defence Minister's secretary, General Prawit will not quit the Cabinet and will still stick with the government.

Noppadon's remark echoed that of Patcharawat's big support-er Suthep, who believed General Prawit had no quarrel with the reassignment of his brother. Suthep said the assignment was not meant to put pressure on the police chief.

Second, Abhisit was seen mov-ing from his usual seat at the head of the table to have a private 15-minute talk with General Prawit during last Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.

Also, Suthep and PM's secre-tary-general Niphon Promphan, on behalf of the premier, present-ed a basket of flowers and offered good wishes to the Defence Minister on his 64th birthday last Tuesday. Suthep and Prawit appeared in a good mood during the greetings.

Third, Patcharawat's surpris-ingly positive response to the assignment was seen as a com-promise, that the premier would not change the outgoing police chief's proposed reshuffle list for officers at the level of deputy-commander and lower ranks.

After his task in the South, Patcharawat plans to make his farewell trips. By doing so, he could ease the way for politicians in power to make any changes - except for his choices - to the reshuffle lists. It could save face for both Abhisit and the police chief.

The Police Commission yester-day delayed its debate on the reshuffle list for officers at the level of deputy commander. It has also postponed the date for intro-ducing the new police structure from August 16 to September 7. Due to the restructuring, more than 100,000 positions will be reassigned. This would give more time for politicians to review the lists.

It could be the right way to end the conflict. Those who wanted Abhisit to dismiss Patcharawat, criticising the premier for lacking courage, should understand the government still needs the Wongsuwan family's support to stabilise its term.

Many politicians came to sup-port Patcharawat as they know the police chief is key to deciding the government's fate. For example: his brother Prawit, Army Chief Anupong Paochinda, de facto leader of the coalition Bhum Jai Thai Party, Newin Chidchob. And not to be forgotten, former prime minister Banharn Silapa-archa, who warned Abhisit he should not try to "go solo" and forego his "scaffold", meaning Suthep, who brought him to the prime minis-tership.

Even Abhisit's mentor, Chuan Leekpai warned the premier he could be sued by the police chief if he sacked Patcharawat.

Meanwhile, and Abac Poll found that 69.6 per cent of respondents believed the premier could have made a wrong decision in his handling of the conflict.

Abhisit and Suthep were criti-cised for playing good cop and bad cop (the latter supported the police chief but the former did not), but if they had let the con-flict drag on, the government could have lost the advantage and fallen. And more external battles await them, such as the red-shirts submitting a petition to His Majesty the King for a pardon for fugitive former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

However, it remains to be seen if the conflict has really been resolved. One rumour has it that Prawit has kept quiet because he was wants the annual military reshuffle to be approved - after which there may be a chance for him to strike back.