The real reasons behind setting up Prawit's strategic taskforce
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MANY PEOPLE have been wondering why Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha decided to set up a strategic taskforce led by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, when the premier himself and his government have assumed full authority since the May 22 coup.
Why did Prayut just realise he needed the taskforce as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) as the junta called itself has seized the power since May 22 and the government under Prime Minister Prayut took the helm in the administration more than three months.
Analysts, however, say Prayut needs this taskforce for two reasons – first to give his senior colleague Prawit a significant role in the administration, and second, to increase the role of Somkid Jatusripitak in guiding the country’s economy. Somkid is getting a boost because economic tsar Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula has done little to prove himself.
Since the junta took over the country’s administration, it has failed to boost economic growth, particularly for the poor, as the price of farm products such as rice and rubber have only been heading down. Exports are also dropping, while the dropping price of petrol has yet to have any major effect.
The other problem is that Prayut may be reluctant to issue instructions to his deputy Pridiyathorn, because, after all, he had helped with the May 22 power seizure. Also, Prawit might be in a better position to tell the truth to the deputy PM in charge of economic affairs due to his seniority and their close relations. The two used to work together at Five Eastern Forestry Provinces Conjunction Foundation, with Prawit as the chief and Pridiyathorn as his deputy.
Though Prayut might want someone like Somkid to oversee the country’s economy, the former minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra government is serving a ban from politics. Also, the junta’s interim constitution prohibits persons like Somkid from holding any political positions, which explains why he has been working behind the scenes as an adviser to the junta.
Now, with Somkid as part of Prawit’s taskforce, he might be able to use his own abilities to drive the economy and bypass Pridiyathorn.
A meeting between the government leaders and the private sector recently indicated that the economy is still struggling to recover, and the government has failed to jumpstart the economy by injecting capital through regular channels in the bureaucracy.
Prayut said on Tuesday that he hopes Prawit’s taskforce, along with Somkid, would be able to mobilise forces to drive all state mechanisms to run the country and the economy.
