Door not closed on discards

Published on August 04, 2005 - In announcing his Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra sacrificed three long-time ministers. But the record shows that their chances for a return remain open as long as they accept their dismissals without complaint.

Former ministers Adisai Bodharamik (education), Suwit Khunkitti (information and communications technology) and Korn Thapparansi (science and technology) lost their jobs on Tuesday.

Adisai and Suwit had served in all of Thaksin’s cabinets, but Korn missed a few appointments during his transition from the Chat Pattana to the Thai Rak Thai party in 2003.

Since Thaksin took power in early 2001, ministers dropped from his line-ups have learnt that if they want to make a return they need to accept the change rather than express disappointment.

The prime minister has shown his readiness to reshuffle to cope with changing situations. These have included the power struggle within Thai Rak Thai, the failure to ease tensions in the deep South, restructuring of the ministries and escaping censure debates.

Consequently, key members of Thai Rak Thai, including Thaksin’s aides, have found themselves in or out, or rotated to different Cabinet posts. Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, Prommin Lertsuridej, Watana Muangsook and Phumtham Wechayachai are good examples.

Each of them has served both in cabinets and on Thaksin’s missions. If they didn’t serve as ministers, Thaksin would assign them to work on major government posts or positions within his party.

Thaksin reshuffled his Cabinet nine times in his first term as prime minister. As his government’s second term runs until 2009, opportunities for the outgoing ministers will open as long as they are well behaved towards Thaksin.

Adisai has served as commerce minister and education minister. He is known as a Thai Rak Thai financier, who joined the party shortly after he left Chat Pattana in 2000.

He is believed to have been sacked as education minister because he was seriously at odds with his deputy, Rung Kaewdaeng, over a plan to arm teachers in the three southern border provinces with handguns. Rung supported the idea, but Adisai barred the plan. Rung has close ties with Thaksin and is seen as the prime minister’s representative at the ministry.

Apart from suffering poor health, Suwit was accused of poor performance. He failed to impress Thaksin as ICT minister because he was slow to push the first batch of 12 million smart ID cards into use.

Korn reportedly disappointed by “vanishing” from the public eye.

Weerayut Chokchaimadon
The Nation