Varathep faces challenge over post

Varathep was banned from politics by the Supreme Court on September 30, 2009 and received a two-year suspended sentence in a corruption case involving the two- and three-digit lottery during his term as deputy finance minister. Prasarn said he would petition the Constitution Court next week over the matter.

“Section 174 (5) states that a minister must not have been sentenced to prison and appointed no sooner than after five years of serving the sentence unless the crime is due to carelessness. For Varathep, it’s been less than five years and his sentence was related to corruption, so he seems to lack the qualifications,” said Prasarn, adding that as a member of the House Committee on Good Governance and Corruption Monitoring, he would also raise the matter with the committee.

Prasarn said he would also urge the committee to summons the fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

“So far no related agencies have arrested [Thaksin] despite the fact that they know which country he is travelling to, but claim they do not know his exact address. I see it as an excuse and an intention not to carry out their duty under Article 157 of the Criminal Code.”

Cabinet secretary-general Ampon Kittiampon said there would be no problems with Varathep’s appointment and that the Cabinet secretariat’s legal experts had verified his qualifications.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday summoned her newly appointed ministers to personally give them their job assignments.

Cabinet members, permanent secretaries and aides lined up at Government House awaiting their turn to see Yingluck in her office.

Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said he and Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanich had met Yingluck and received their orders.

“The prime minister wants the Education Ministry to ensure smooth distribution of tablet computers to first graders,” he said.

Phongthep said his other tasks include mapping out a solution for graduates to access start-up funds that would enable them to repay their student loans.

He said he would also focus on tailoring the education system to meet market demands.

Commenting on his concurrent position as deputy PM, Phongthep said Yingluck had yet to make those assignments. He said he expected the reallocation of duties among deputy premiers to be finalised after the new Cabinet’s first meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for next week.

He dismissed speculation about a quota system to allocate Cabinet seats and assignments.

Phongthep also sought to allay concerns about frequent changes in the Education Ministry, saying that even though the education portfolio had changed hands three times in a year, the government and its education policies were unchanged.

He said he would carry on the work of his predecessor Suchart Tadathamrongvej.

Speaking after his meeting with the PM, Sermsak said he was ready to serve and work as an educator.

He did not mind the education post even though he had prior experience in the Interior Ministry. “I think education is a very challenging job,” he said.

Deputy Commerce Minister Natthawut Saikua said Yingluck had full control of the Cabinet line-up, and that the red shirts had not made any demands about Cabinet positions.

A number of red shirts voiced support for a post for their leader Jatuporn Promphan, but this was just their personal view, Natthawut said, adding that he talked with Jatuporn every day and could therefore confirm that there was no rift between the government and the red-shirt movement.