Phumtham happy to work behind the scenes
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Pheu Thai Party director Phumtham Vejchayachai said yesterday that he prefers to work behind the scenes rather than become a Cabinet member.
Phumtham was commenting on speculation that he would be appointed interior minister, replacing Yongyuth Wichaidit who resigned.
“I like to play a back-up role to support party work. Please don’t give me any position now,” Phumtham said.
He said the Cabinet reshuffle would depend on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
“The prime minister said a reshuffle would take more time, so a reshuffle is not needed now,” he added.
Phumtham denied that factions inside the Pheu Thai were fighting for a Cabinet seat after Yongyuth had resigned.
“We have no conflicts over Cabinet reshuffle. We are still united and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has nothing to do with the reshuffle,” Phumtham said.
He also denied rumours that Yingluck had been under tremendous pressure regarding the reshuffle and she had threatened to resign. He clarified that Yingluck was still ready to head the government.
Democrat Party MP Thepthai Senapong, meanwhile, said he believed that Phumtham had the best chance of becoming interior minister.
Thepthai said the performance of former police chief Priewphan Damapong was not outstanding and he had failed to impress Thaksin, so he would not win the position.
The Democrat MP said he expected Thaksin to soon select a new interior minister because if he left the position vacant for too long, several factions in the Pheu Thai would fight for it and cause severe rifts.
Thepthai said a Cabinet reshuffle was also likely to remove possible censure targets before the opposition could submit a no-confidence motion against the government.
