Some new faces as premier plays musical chairs

Published on August 03, 2005- Prime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra raised many eyebrows when he said he would reshuffle 17 Cabinet posts.

But when the list was released yesterday it showed only four new faces, one of which was in the previous Thaksin government.

The rest is old wine in new packaging.

The latest reshuffle seems to be nothing more than the same musical-chairs strategy Thaksin used when managing his company.

The same approach marked all nine of his previous Cabinet reshuffles and is in keeping with his CEO-style of government.

Thaksin’s reasons for the reshuffles – “putting the right man in the right job” or “for maximum efficiency’’ or “trial and error” – have not been successful because almost every minister has spent time at more than one ministry.

How will the public know which ministers are best at which ministries when they keep getting moved to different jobs?

The public has learned only one thing from all of these Cabinet reshuffles – Thaksin must first get the nod from his wife Pojaman.

The minister who seems to have been moved most often is Somsak Thepsuthin.

Somsak has now been shuffled six times in the Thaksin I and Thaksin II governments. He started as PM’s office minister, then was moved to the Industry Ministry, then became deputy agriculture minister and finally deputy prime minister.

He cried without shame when he lost the deputy agriculture portfolio and then secured the Tourism and Sports Ministry post in the Thaksin II government. He was moved to the Labour Ministry in the latest reshuffle.

Sora-at Klinpratoom has been reshuffled five times. He was switched from the deputy interior minister post to agriculture minister, then to the social development and human security portfolio. In Thaksin II, he assumed the labour portfolio and his latest job was at the Information and Communications Technology Ministry.

Also moved five times, Suwat Liptapanlop went from the PM’s Office Ministry to the University Ministry and then to the Labour Ministry, before being made a deputy prime minister. In Thaksin II, he was given responsibility for the Justice Ministry, but was moved upstairs as deputy PM in the latest reshuffle.

Ministers shuffled four times are General Thamarak Isarangura, Chaturon Chaisang and Pracha Maleenont.

Thamarak was moved from the PM’s office portfolio to defence. He was then moved upstairs to become a deputy prime minister, before returning to defence in Thaksin II. He remains defence minister in the latest line-up.

Pracha was moved from the Transport Ministry and made deputy interior and social development minister, before securing the Tourism and Sports Ministry post in the latest reshuffle.

Pongsak Ruktapongpisal was moved from the deputy commerce minister post to the Industry Ministry. He was not included in the previous Cabinet and surprised everybody by being chosen to head the Transport Ministry in the latest reshuffle.

Somkid Jatusripitak has been moved in every reshuffle, but he has always alternated between the finance portfolio and deputy prime minister – or both at the same time. Rumour has it that he was tired of the Finance Ministry and wanted to be moved to the Commerce Ministry.

Sudarat Keyuraphan continues to resist the winds of change blowing around her in the Agriculture Ministry. She has had problems with her former deputy, Newin Chidchob, who has been moved in the latest reshuffle.

Surakiart Sathirathai shares the same political fate as he has seldom been shuffled. He kept his foreign minister portfolio through all the reshuffles in Thaksin I and is expected to keep his deputy PM post throughout Thaksin II. He might take the helm at a ministry if he does not win the post of United Nations secretary-general.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn, Jintana Panyaarvudh
The Nation