Former Thai Rak Thai men deny pressing PM for Cabinet seats
Former Thai Rak Thai executives are not pressuring Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to reshuffle the Cabinet to make positions for them, two former office holders said yesterday.
Former deputy finance minister Warathep Ratanakorn and Phumtham Wechayachai, a former TRT executive who is now Pheu Thai director, said reports that the former Thai Rak Thai executives want Cabinet seats were not true.
Warathep said former TRT executives had not held discussions on pressuring Yingluck to reshuffle her ministers to bring some of them into the Cabinet.
Warathep said the reports were either rumours or incorrect analyses by other groups.
He said the former executives, who have completed a five-year political ban, were willing to help the government in its work without demanding any position.
Warathep said he had not been approached to become a minister and a Cabinet reshuffle would depend on the prime minister.
Phumtham also said it was up to Yingluck to decide when a reshuffle is made.
He said a number of former Thai Rak Thai executives were working for Pheu Thai and had received assignments from the prime minister. Consequently, none were trying to influence the PM on Cabinet seats.
Rumours of a Cabinet reshuffle have been rife after Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit announced his resignation last week. The decision took effect yesterday.
Phumtham said he preferred to support the government from behind the scenes, instead of becoming interior minister.
He said he believed a new appointment to the portfolio did not have to be rushed because Deputy Interior Minister Chuchart Harnsawat could effectively perform as acting interior minister.
PM’s Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal denied he had been named as acting deputy prime minister to take over Yongyuth’s role. He said he had not yet met Yingluck.
Nivatthamrong said the appointment of the new interior minister was not urgent because there are now two deputy interior ministers who can handle duties at the Interior Ministry.
He said the next interior minister should be able to coordinate with provincial governors to implement the government’s policies.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said yesterday that Yingluck had not yet reassigned Yongyuth’s duties to him or other deputy prime ministers.
Chalerm said Yongyuth’s resignation had not caused any repercussions or conflict inside the Pheu Thai party. He also said the prime minister had confirmed the Cabinet would not be reshuffled in the near future.
