Vichet sure he won't be sacked

NATURAL RESOURCES and Environment Minister Vichet Kasem-thongsri has expressed confidence he will not be removed from his position over claims that his wife neglected to declare company shareholdings, but ruling party sources have said he is among the ministers in danger of losing their jobs in an imminent reshuffle.
Pheu Thai Party sources said many party MPs have been to see the party’s de facto leader, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, in Hong Kong and Macau. They claim he told the MPs and prospective candidates to visit local voters and prepare for an early election. He also reportedly said there would be a Cabinet reshuffle this month to open opportunities for fresh applicants.
Along with Vichet, Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan, his deputy Pracha Prasobdee and Deputy Public Health Minister Sorawong Thienthong are expected to be removed.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit denied reports of a Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, however, while PM Yingluck Shinawatra also refused to answer reporters’ questions on the issue.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) previously reported that Vichet’s wife, as well as Sorawong and his wife, had failed to declare stockholdings of more than 5 per cent in private firms when declaring their assets.
According to the law, ministers and their spouses are required to declare all their assets, otherwise the minister could be disqualified.
Vichet insisted that he complied with the legal requirement to report all of his assets to the NACC.
Since the NACC does not have the authority to rule over Vichet’s qualifications as a minister, it has forwarded the case to the Election Commission for interpretation. After that his qualifications will be judged by the Constitutional Court.
“On the legal procedures, it would be better to consult Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana, who has responsibility for overseeing the government’s legal affairs,” Vichet said.
“To date, there has been no sign from the Pheu Thai party as to whether I will be removed. However, I have been constantly thinking about the day I will leave this ministerial position, from the first day I worked at the ministry,” he said.
Vichet has held the position of natural resources and environment minister since July. He has vowed to launch a renewed battle against those who encroach on forest reserves and has also ordered senior officials to review forest-protection laws.
The minister, who formerly chaired PTT’s board of directors, has also instructed his officials to monitor forested areas using satellite imagery every three months. He said this would help judge the performance of high-level officials and would enable officials to better protect national reserves nationwide.
Vichet said he would consider getting civic groups involved in the management of natural resources in their areas, and would put preparedness for natural disasters at the top of his agenda.
However, to run his ministerial office smoothly, Vichet is considering reshuffling his top officials and designating replacements for those due to retire this month.
When asked if his decision to reshuffle high level officials of the ministry was influenced by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he declined to give an answer.
“Decisions on whether to reshuffle high-level officials will depend on their qualifications. Absolutely, they must be good guys,” he added.
With the September-October reshuffle season underway, Vichet has yet to decide on which nominated officials should get Cabinet approval to replace the outgoing officials.
At least four high-level officials will retire this month – including the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, its inspector, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning’s secretary-general, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP)’s director-general.
Vichet said the names of nominees to replace retiring senior officials are expected to be tabled by the Cabinet this month.