PM hands out Yongyuth jobs to Chalerm, others

Following the weekly Cabinet meeting, Yingluck said that Deputy Interior Minister Chuchart Harnsawat was also delegated the responsibilities of Yongyuth in his capacity as interior minister.

Yongyuth resigned as deputy PM and interior minister after a penalty against him related to the Alpine golf course scandal.

Yingluck said Chalerm would replace Yongyuth in supervising the Interior Ministry, the Civil Service Commission, the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, and the government committee following up on proposals of the Truth for Reconciliation Commission.

She said Deputy PM Kittirat Na Ranong would replace Yongyuth in supervising the Transport Ministry.

The supervision of the National Office of Buddhism and the Social Development and Human Security Ministry was delegated to Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapha.

Yingluck said she would not reshuffle her Cabinet now as she would like current ministers to speed up their work and be ready to help possible victims of flooding likely after approaching storms.

Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom denied yesterday that Yaowapha Wongsawat, a sister of the PM and former premier Thaksin, who leads a faction of Pheu Thai MPs in the north, had been denied more Cabinet seats for her faction. Boonsong said Yingluck would have the final say on any Cabinet reshuffle and Yaowapha had not interfered.